My Dad's A Birdman

Join a young girl and her dad as they find their wings and take to the skies in a joyful, quirky, tender tale from a masterful author and illustrator team.

In a rainy town in the north of England, there are strange goings-on. Dad is building a pair of wings, eating flies, and feathering his nest. Auntie Doreen is getting cross and making dumplings. Contest barker Mr. Poop is parading the streets shouting louder and louder, and even Mr. Mint, the headmaster, is not quite himself. And watching it all is Lizzie, missing her mam and looking after Dad by letting him follow his newfound whimsy. From an inspired creative pairing comes a story of the Great Human Bird Competition — a poignant, exuberant tale of the healing power of flights of fancy, and a very special father-and-daughter bond."Almond aims at a younger audience than usual, but crafts a tale at least as emotionally complex as any of his heavier outings." —Kirkus ReviewsDavid Almond, whose many awards include a Carnegie Medal and a Michael L. Printz Award, is known worldwide as the author of Skellig, Kit's Wilderness, Heaven Eyes, The Fire Eaters, and many other books and plays. Of My Dad's a Birdman, his first novel for younger readers, he says, "Birds have always been a big influence. It’s something to do with the urge to transcend our earthbound state, to sing, to be free. There is darkness in the story, of course, but I think I found a way to make a joyful piece about grieving, about how love can help us overcome pain, and about how the imagination can work profound changes." He lives in Northumberland, England.

Polly Dunbar is the author-illustrator of Dog Blue, Flyaway Katie, and Penguin, and the illustrator of Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar and Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters. She lives in Brighton, England.