How to Heal a Broken Wing (review)

When a pigeon falls to the city pavement with a broken wing, only young Will notices. He and his initially resistant mother take the bird home, where Dad soon gets into the act as well, and they give the bird a quiet place to heal, housing it first in a box and then a cage. With the passage of time, the pigeon recovers, and Will and his family set the bird free back in the busy city square where it first fell to ground. Flap copy calls this an “urban fable,” and the inclusion of newspapers and TV screens with militaristic images offers a subtext about finding peace and connection in daunting times; ultimately, though, the fable aspect is a bit trite and obscurely conveyed, so skip that and focus on the gentle manifest story, which will enrapture little kids. Most of the action unfolds in graphic-novel panels, with only a few words on each oversized page to serve as captions, and youngsters can easily “read” the story just from the art. Graham (author of the endearing “Let’s Get a Pup!” Said Kate, BCCB 9/01) has a nice visual line in the subtle realities of everyday life, such as the way Will pulls himself up to his toes to show his dad the bird’s dropped feather, and the fact that both father and son tend to pad around the house in their socks (Mom prefers bare feet). His softly rounded line-and-watercolor images effectively employ contrast, too: the range of city buildings, with their severe verticals, are initially depicted in drab, cool colors but they’re transformed by dawn’s rosy glow when it comes time to set the bird free. Ultimately, this is a tender story that celebrates a youngster’s ability to see hope and need where most people see something to pass by, and kids will appreciate both Will’s successful nursing and the vindication of their helpful impulses.