Review by Horn Book Review
DePaola's ecological fable from the crunchy-granola seventies retains relevance today. Michael Bird-Boy (in a feather-suit) sees his farm threatened by an ominous cloud spewed by a city honey factory. He and the factory's owner find a happy solution. Horizontal panels do a fine job of shuttling between the rural and urban landscapes. Includes a diagram of how honey is made. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
There's no hint of how Michael Bird-Boy got his name or why he always wears a costume of white feathers and beak, but that only adds an aura of gentle fantasy to a story that can't afford to be taken literally anyway. It tells how Michael, who lives happily in the country, goes off to the city to fred what is causing the ugly black cloud that has dirtied the sky, and ends up teaching an overalled, red haired Boss-Lady--who runs the polluting Artificial Honey Syrup factory--how to make real honey using bees and flowers. Michael Bird-Boy and Boss-Lady hit it off nicely, and their story is saved from the banalities of the plot by de Paola's rejection of pseudorealism in favor of a sweet, muted dream. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
