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If I Never Forever Endeavor
by
A fledgling teeters at the edge of his nest in a gorgeously illustrated tale sure to resonate with anyone facing a rite of passage, change, or challenge.
Safe inside his cozy nest, a young bird considers whether or not to give his new wings a try. What if he tries and the wings don’t work, and he flails, plummets, and looks foolish? Then again, what if his wings take him sw ...more
Safe inside his cozy nest, a young bird considers whether or not to give his new wings a try. What if he tries and the wings don’t work, and he flails, plummets, and looks foolish? Then again, what if his wings take him sw ...more
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Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
April 12th 2011
by Candlewick Press
(first published March 18th 2011)
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An enjoyable rhyming tale of a bird learning to fly.
Capturing the tension of a fledgling about to leave the nest, this picture book celebrates taking chances and testing your wings. A small yellow bird muses on what would happen if they just stay in the safety of their nest, because though there would be new things to see, there is also plenty to fear. Of course, if they stay, then there is no flying, no soaring, and no making a new friend to share the air with. This book will speak to anyone looking to make a change, try something new, or just t
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What review of this did I read and what controlled substance was I on when I read it?
This is a Blue Mountain greeting card for adults, not a picture book for children. The art work is lovely, the text is awkward, overly verbose, and suitable to be given along with "Oh the Places You'll Go" to graduating students. It should have been marketed as such. ...more
This is a Blue Mountain greeting card for adults, not a picture book for children. The art work is lovely, the text is awkward, overly verbose, and suitable to be given along with "Oh the Places You'll Go" to graduating students. It should have been marketed as such. ...more
I think I might have found a contender for the 2012 Caldecott! What an absolutely beautiful story, with a message that we all need to hear at times. In this rhyming story we read the thoughts of a young bird in its nest, trying to get up the courage to fly. He considers the pros and cons of trying, and finally... but you'll have to read it! The illustrations appear to be (but I'm no expert) painted woodcuts, simple and colored with soft pastels. The bird is cute, and the text is simple enough, e
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My friend Mary Lou gifted this one to me and I am so grateful. It made me soar as I read it. It's all about the rewards of freedom and friendship that are available to us if we will just take those scary first steps (or wing flaps, in this case)! I love this book and think that most everyone would benefit from spending time in its pages.
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Very well, Holly Meade! Excellent rhythm in rhyme. Delightful illustrations. Simple story about a fledgling deciding whether to fly... or not. The results are exhilarating and exemplary. A great read for all, from the tender young to the experienced elderly. I cannot recommend it enough.
This is lyrical, poetic book. The little bird questions whether or not she should fly. There's a nice theme, about daring to try things, and it's a good length for kids.
If you are trying to teach older elementary kids about themes, this book is a good one to discuss because the theme is very dominant and easy to find. ...more
If you are trying to teach older elementary kids about themes, this book is a good one to discuss because the theme is very dominant and easy to find. ...more
36 months - we read this book in the morning and in the afternoon O climbed the chain ladder at the playground for the first time and then repeated it about twenty times! She's always been a swing kid and 98% of the time never even touches the climbing equipment and slides. Yay for books! If you don't try you'll never know if you can do it. Now I hear myself saying to her "be brave and give it a try, you won't know if you don't try". :)
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This little book endeavors to be clever with the way it weaves all the text together. Sometimes it works, sometimes it stumbles. It'd be a tough book for read-aloud, and isn't really suitable for a preschool audience. This might be worth introducing to reluctant poetry readers in first and second grade for their poetry unit.
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Labored rhymes, ordinary illustrations. This one didn't take off for me- though I get the message. I did like the use of language and the unapologetic introduction of interesting words into a picture book.
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Four stars as a sappy college graduation present, two stars as a picture book for kids, but I do love the illustrations apart from the text.
Pretty pictures, pretty text, uplifting message. The kids and I enjoyed reading it and looking at it, but they won't remember it in a week. :-)
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A young bird contemplates leaving the nest...on the one hand, it would be marvelous to swoop and to flutter and to see the world. On the other hand, perhaps the bird will fail and will fall. Perhaps she should just stay warm and safe in her nest, not risking the possibility of failure. Written in poetic language and with absolutely gorgeous illustrations, this is an inspirational book of daring to try. It might make a nice gift for graduation and is a great read aloud for a child about to embark
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The illustrations are gorgeous (and I'm probably biased because I LOVE birds). But I will be honest and say that when I read this aloud to a family member for a school project, I couldn't help but laugh the whole way through because it's so "cringey". I had to stop multiple times because I was CRYING from laughing and couldn't see the pages. This poetry doesn't work and I don't know how kids could understand anything that's being said, especially with the amount of tongue tied moments I had. The
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The illustrations of this book are very simple, but the illustrator has different objects and pictures drawn all over the page which makes it a very interactive book to read. The story follows a small birds journey in learning how to fly. This book includes the fears of stepping out into the unknown and the possibilities of what might happen when one does. The young bird flies in the end, learning how to do this on their own and understanding their own capabilities. Translating this into a mess
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I think this book would help other children to learn that trying new things can be scary, but sometimes when we try, we can find things that make us happy too. And this book will help others know that mistakes are okay and part of learning. My favorite part is that the bird tried and learned that she could fly. I also liked that I read this book because it gave me a chance to talk to mom about making mistakes and how I don't like making them. Then I learned they are good and part of learning.
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My 6-year-old daughter's rating: 3 stars "I like it."
My rating: 2.5 stars
While the layering of paper in this one is lovely, I'm not rating it higher because the text is not very strong. The rhyming text and more advanced vocabulary make this better for a Kindergartner or First grader rather than a preschooler. ...more
My rating: 2.5 stars
While the layering of paper in this one is lovely, I'm not rating it higher because the text is not very strong. The rhyming text and more advanced vocabulary make this better for a Kindergartner or First grader rather than a preschooler. ...more
Inspirational book to go with IB Learner profiles Risk Taker and Courageous. Story of a young bird contemplating the idea of stepping out of the comfortable nest to try flying. He wrestles with all the what ifs and thinks about what he might miss (or lose) if he does not try. Worth reading.
Lovely illustrations. Read to three little girls ages 2,4 and 6. After explanation the 4 and 6 year old understood the word endeavor but the book did not hold the interst of the 2 year old or the 4 year old. It did have a good message however.
A little bird takes flight in truly stunning collage illustrations and simple text. Would make a good read-aloud.
Short and inspirational. What will happen if I have courage to try? Will I succeed or fail? Both! Fun, unusual rhyming and pretty illustrations. Tackles the doubt and anxiety of trying new things.
Better to try and possibly fail than to not try at all.
Lovely story, good message. The only way to find out if you can do something is to try.
I like the idea. The illustrations are good. The text vocabulary could be simplified for the younger age group.
Again and Again- taking risks and trying something,even if you are scared from POV of a bird.
This book is about a bird who is nervous about taking a flying endeavor. She is comfotable in her nest and uncertain about flying. When she finally take the plunge, she finds her wings clever!
"How do you know if you don't like it, unless you try it?" is what we usually tell our children. What's it like to pluck sweet bug from the sky? Endeavor to fly
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My kiddo is blowing through the Mensa reading list and I'm loving it.
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Good
If in all of forever,
I never endeavor
to fly, I won't know if I can.
So begins this picture book about the power of letting go and facing one's fears. A little bird worries that if he tries to fly, he will get hurt, but he also recognizes that if he never tries, he'll never know, and he'll never have the great experiences that go along with flying.
While I agree with the message - that we never know until we try - I am less enthralled with the way it is delivered. What specifically annoyed me was t ...more
I never endeavor
to fly, I won't know if I can.
So begins this picture book about the power of letting go and facing one's fears. A little bird worries that if he tries to fly, he will get hurt, but he also recognizes that if he never tries, he'll never know, and he'll never have the great experiences that go along with flying.
While I agree with the message - that we never know until we try - I am less enthralled with the way it is delivered. What specifically annoyed me was t ...more
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Holly Meade was the illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including ON MORNING WINGS by Reeve Lindbergh, That's What Friends Are For by Florence Parry Heide, Virginnie's Hat by Dori Chaconas, In the Wild by David Elliott, Naamah and the Ark at Night by Susan Bartoletti and many more. She wrote and illustrated the picture book If I Never Forever Endeavor.
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