The Paradise Bird

A flock of ravens%E2%80%94they look like the naysayers previously seen in 2014's The Little Moon Raven%E2%80%94gets an attitude makeover courtesy of a brightly colored Paradise Bird, who crash-lands in front of the tree on which they are perched. Unhurt by his tumble, the energetic bird%E2%80%94bright red, with blue wings and rainbow-colored tufts of feathers on his head and tail%E2%80%94encourages the bored, stuck-in-a-rut ravens to less loose with some singing and dancing. When one of the birds protests that ravens don't sing, just "croak or maybe caw," the Paradise Bird won't hear of it; before long, he's leading them in the "Crazy Croak-a Croak-a" dance and donating his own colorful feathers for the crows to ornament themselves with. The mood is decidedly more upbeat than in The Little Moon Raven: with his vibrant plumage and won't-take-no-for-an-answer attitude, Pfister's Paradise Bird shows how infectious positive thinking can be, while the ravens are proof positive of the benefits of shaking oneself out of comfort zones and tired routines. Ages 3%E2%80%935. (Oct.)