Rescuing Mrs. Birdley by Aaron Reynolds (review)

Watching nature shows on TV has made Miranda an “animal expert,” and she knows how to rescue an animal that’s strayed out of its habitat. When she sees her teacher at the grocery store, Miranda is therefore ready, since she “had been preparing for this moment her entire life.” She tries first to catch Mrs. Birdley in a pit, then attempts to bait her into a snare with the teacher’s favorite blueberry yogurt. Finally she successfully traps her target in a garbage can, which she then rolls back to school, releasing Mrs. Birdley back into the classroom where she belongs. The widely known weirdness of seeing teachers out of school powers the absurdity here, and author Reynolds is a dab hand with self-aware campy comedy (Mrs. Birdley “couldn’t resist the scent of fruity low-calorie goodness”). Digital art by illustrator Reynolds (no apparent relation to the author) is a little too smoothly featureless in spots, but Miranda, with her glorious cloud of curly hair following behind her, is a fine comic focal point, and entertaining perspectives (as when an excited Miranda heads directly toward the viewer with a trash bin ready to go) enhance the humor. This will be a particular hit at schools, and librarians might want to milk the comedy by pairing it with wildlife titles.