ARNIE, THE DARLING STARLING

by Margaret Sigl & Diane Marie Barras Corbo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 17, 1983

When Corbo, a plucky grandmother, comes to the rescue of an infant starling that has fallen from its nest into her daisy patch, it signals the beginning of her recovery from post-divorce depression--and of her relationship with an uncommonly ""darling starling."" Living in Texas, in a house built with friends, is for Corbo a stop-gap measure. At first, opening her home and heart even to a tiny baby bird seems too emotionally demanding. But Arnold, named after weight lifter Arnold Schwarzenegger by grandson ""Travie,"" soon charms her (as well as her three cats--Samantha, Vagabond, and Mitzi) with his winning ways: he sits atop Corbo's head as she does housework; takes daily baths in a margarine tub; and has a gourmet taste for steak, corn, orange juice, and wine. Besides, he learns to talk. Daily renderings of ""Mary Had a Little Lamb"" and the like, plus assorted greetings (""Hi! Hi! Good morning. Peek-a-boo. Gimme kiss, smack-smack-smack. Come see Arnie""), flu the house with cheer. Arnie also has a positive influence on two of Corbo's special friends--Suzanne, a frightened Vietnamese refugee, and a troubled youth named Lenny. Incorporated along the way are important points about animal welfare: only wild animals that can never be returned to the wild should be kept in captivity; pesticides do irreparable damage to avian life. Sure to please bird devotees--and surprise starling-haters.

Pub Date: Nov. 17, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1983

Categories: NONFICTION