Penguins Can’t Fly! Two Friends Become TRUE Friends

British author/illustrator Byrne (The Really, Really, Really Big Dinosaur) offers a story of two birds united in friendship but divided by talent. Gregory (a gull) and Hudson (a penguin) have been close ever since they hatched: “As time went on they started to grow and change, but they remained the best of friends,” writes Byrne, as the birds are seen sledding, ice fishing, and exchanging knitwear gifts. When Gregory starts to hang out with other gulls (in the air), Hudson’s attempts to fly result in belly flops and humiliation (“The gulls just laughed unkindly”). The penguin redeems himself, however, rescuing Gregory from nearly drowning after the gull gets tangled up in a fishing net. If Byrne overplays the gulls’ cruelty and Hudson’s despair a tad, his cheerful cartoons provide enough comedic moments (particularly when Hudson tries to use balloons, a trampoline, and a kite to propel himself skyward) to keep the story from feeling too dire or melodramatic. A scene-stealing crab offers additional comic relief, and the birds even find a way to make Hudson fly, using ingenuity and teamwork. Ages 2–5. (Apr.)