Puffling by Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas

May 2nd, 2008

Themes: Growing Up, Bravery, Parenting, Family, Mentoring, Letting Go, Leaving the nest, Children…

Puffling lives with his parents, Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather. His parents tell him about the world outside of their burrow and, as Puffling sees them head off and out into the world he develops a longing to join them outside and experience the world as they do. Puggling asks them both when he would be able to venture outside their burrow and they answer by telling him that he’s not ready yet, and that when he is he’ll swim out to the sea and live his life.

Always eager to get out of the burrow Puffling asks when he’ll be ready and is told that when he is tall enough, strong enough and brave enough he will be ready.

“When you are strong enough and tall enough and brave enough, you’ll leave the burrow all by yourself,” said Big Stripy Beak.

“You’ll waddle off into the dark as fast as you can so the scary gulls can’t catch you.”

And, as Puffling grows they measure his heart (his bravery), his height and his strength, feeding him, encouraging him, training him until the day comes where he is able to leave the burrow. Until then he waits and hears the stories and hopes, occasionally looking out of the burrow and seeing the gulls outside keeping watch.

As with all birds, the time comes where he is strong, tall and brave enough to leave the nest and he sets off to get past all the obstacles and join the rest of the family and birds in the ocean…

A great story of mentoring, sometimes we’re not ready to tell our children that they are now brave enough, strong enough and tall enough, sometimes we protect them for too long, sometimes we need the strength shown by Puffling’s parents and the courage of little Puffling to venture out into the world.

A very different book than that of Margaret’s latest release “Woolves In The Sitee” this is a picture book that gets down to the basics, beautiful illustrations, simple story, loveable characters, touching moments… The first time I read the book to children a couple came up to me and sighed “That was such a beautiful story.” And that’s just what you’ll get here, a beautiful children’s story about growing up, about being parents, about leaving the nest…

Book Information:

Puffling
Author: Margaret Wild
Illistrator: Julie Vivas
ISBN: 978-1-86291-598-5
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Pub.Date: 02/2008
Format: Hardcover, 32 Pages