THE WING SHOP

An ordinary story about a boy trying out several pairs of wings takes flight in its delightful illustrations. Matthew, who has just moved, wants desperately to revisit his old home; he finds (or imagines) a magical shop that loans him the wings of a gull, a butterfly, even an airplane. Each has its problem (bat wings hang him upside down), easily solved with a wish. Spotting the old house at last, Matthew is dismayed to find it has a pink porch and is now willing to go home to supper. In his usual riotous style, Gammell depicts the cheery, imperturbable child in a pleasing array of amusing situations. His fantastic cityscapes, with lurching brick towers that might be nightmarish were they less obviously born of good-humored fun, are a new addition to his repertoire of unique images. The rather long text is uneasily superimposed on the grand illustrations. (Picture book. 4-8)