Smith, R: Elf the Eagle

This delightful book --- now re-issued in a handsome new edition --- tells the story of Elf, a baby eagle who worries about many things, including the distance from his nest, high up in a tree, to the ground, way, way down below. He also worries about his sister, Edwina, who is older and more adventurous than he is, and who spreads her wings and flies out of their nest, which frightens Elf a great deal. Eventually, when his baby down grows into strong, brown feathers, Elf's parents stop bringing him food and tempt him with tasty morsels that they keep just out of reach. Elf gets very hungry and one day he accidentally tumbles out of the nest. As he starts to fall, his parents yell at him to flap his wings. He does, and he is flying! At the story's end, Elf can't wait for dawn to break so he can fly all the way to the sun. Elf the Eagle was a finalist for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Award (BC Book Prizes) in 2008 and for the Shining Willow Award (Saskatchewan Young Readers) in 2009.