Puffling (Margaret Wild, illus by Julie Vivas, Omnibus Books, $27.99 hb, ISBN 9781862915985, February 2008) ****

Puffling tells the story of a plucky young puffin who dreams of the day he will be able to leave his nest high on the rocky cliff-face and venture out on his own. His affectionate parents, Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather, nourish and protect him, watching his progress attentively for when he is ‘strong enough and tall enough and brave enough’ to be allowed to make the journey to the outside world. Finally, with a touching farewell, Puffling goes out ‘into the darkening night’ to bravely face the menacing ‘scary gulls’ that he’s been warned about, and his future beyond the nest. The theme of growing up—with all its accompanying impatience, trepidation and pride—is a universal one, as is the other theme explored here, that of family love. As such, this is a story that is sure to touch everyone, parents and children alike. The lyrical prose is skillfully modulated and reads aloud beautifully. However, it is the illustrations that make this book a standout. Julie Vivas, responsible for the artwork in the much-celebrated Possum Magic, here affectionately depicts Puffling and his charming family, employing pastel and watercolour pencil on textured paper for subtle, luminous illustrations.

Jasmine Pettersen is an intern at Bookseller+Publisher magazine

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2007, Thorpe-Bowker