ARCHIE FINDS HIS VOICE

A young guinea fowl heads off to find his way in the world in this debut rhyming picture book.

Archie is now old enough to leave the safety of his mother’s care. As the bird wanders on his own for the first time, he has fears and worries, but he knows he can always go home by following the moon and looking for a “bright tree” landmark. As Archie struggles “to be strong,” he questions the appeal of his “screech” and wonders if he’ll find any friends. Luckily, he encounters new, helpful pals at every turn—including a squirrel, a groundhog, a pheasant, and an owl—and each has a trait, like Archie’s screech, which makes them distinctive. In this work, Dworetz-Sofarelli encourages children in rhythmic, rhyming verses to accept themselves for who they are. The story’s messages of self-appreciation are consistently clear, whether they involve making friends, dressing as one wishes, or conversing with ease. The encounters with whimsical characters inspire Archie to say, “I love that we’re different.” Rana’s brightly colored and cheerful ink-and-watercolor–style illustrations will appeal to kids, and the text will help grow very young children’s vocabulary with such words as diverse.

A delightful tale with a clear, positive message and upbeat illustrations.