Review of "Carried by Wings" by Tuula Pere

Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)

Do you remember the first time you rode a bike without training wheels?
The first time you swam without floaties?
Or how about when you moved out of the home to go to college or get married?

Carried by Wings by Tuula Pere beautifully encapsulates this experience, capturing the fear, anxiety, hope, and excitement of stepping out on your own for the first time.

Carried by Wings follows Walter, a baby condor who is afraid of growing up and leaving the nest, especially if it means flying. Walter does everything he can to avoid growing and flying, eating less and choosing to use his feet to venture out on the ground. His fears seemed to be confirmed when his fast-growing brother, Arthur, leaves the nest and is never seen again. Did he fall? Did he fly away successfully?

Walter assumes the worst. And he doesn't want to suffer a failure and a fall too.

Perhaps you or your children can relate!

Life is challenging and scary at times, especially when you've never done something before. Mistakes, errors, and accidents are fairly normal when you're trying something for the first time. Have you had a close call while learning to drive? Did it take more than one attempt to get your license?

Well, Walter is going through the same thing.

Who can blame him?

Now, there was a part of us that considered that Walter's fear of flying and growing up is a little extreme. We considered if he might have agoraphobia or gerascophobia. It's up to the reader to speculate. In any case, we all have fears and phobias, so who's to judge and look down on Walter for having them?

Anyway, while Walter can be a bit frustrating, it's hard not to feel for him and root for him.

And what's really special about this book is how compassionate, encouraging, and understanding Walter's condor parents are. Yes, they try to get him to fly and progress in life, but they also want the best for him and respect his mental health.

There's a particularly touching scene in which Walter's dad, after he pretty much runs away from home, tells him he can stay as long as he needs to until he is ready.

And, as you might expect, the ending is inspiring and triumphant.

We also appreciated the illustrations by Catty Flores, who has been a frequent winner in our contests alongside Pere!

Check it out on Amazon!