Flying Boy Rlb

Buddy always seems to get sidetracked into helping peoplewhich he enjoys. On his way to play baseball he helps out by delivering newspapers for a friend. He listens politely as old Mrs. Turley tells him the same stories about her childhood that he's heard before. When Buddy finds, by accident, that he can fly, his life changes abruptly. A cigar-smoking promoter sets him up for his first public flight and implores him to ""stop flying for free.'' But the grand event fizzles; Buddy has a heavy feeling because he didn't stop to help people who needed him, and he can't get off the ground. Later as he walks home, the weighty feeling lifts and the old Buddy returns. This is not a didactic tale of the benefits of doing good for others, but rather a touching and honest celebration of being true to one's own nature. The simplicity and warmth of McConnachie's straightforward style, with its touches of dry humor, and the radiantly colorful paintings by Jack Ziegler, the renowned cartoonist for the New Yorker, are a rare and splendid combination. Ages 3-6. (March)