Four white eggs lie in the nest in the willow tree. Three hatch into owlets, who wait for the last one to make its appearance. When he finally emerges, Four is “so dumpy and small, a downy white ball.” One, Two and Three gobble up the food, grow quickly and soon learn to fly. But none of that bothers little Four, who scratches in the dirt to find his own food and never gives up trying to fly despite repeated failure. His determination and hard work pay off when a storm strikes the forest and threatens to crack their home in two. Like The Little Engine That Could, Four gathers himself, fights the wind and finally flies. Filled with greens, browns and blues, Macnaughton’s artwork evokes the forest where the adorably fluffy and realistic owlets live. Four’s relentless can-do attitude flies in the face of actual childhood psychology, however. While a positive message about varied developmental speed is always welcome, Leo the Late Bloomer remains the more authentic and emotionally satisfying way to meet this need. (Picture book. 3-8)
