The Simple Art of Flying

You know how sometimes you read a book that taps in to your own personal struggles so deeply, it's like the author had a window into your soul? This is one of those. Cory Leonardo's poetry-laced book about a curmudgeonly African Grey named Alastair who is so fixated on his own vision of what happiness looks like that he can't see the wonderful life that has fallen into his lap immediately spoke to me. The central message—that happiness, and home, and family, can be found in the most unexpected of places, but that you can cheat yourself out of all of them if you can't stop clutching at the way you thought things were supposed to be—feels, in many ways, like the theme of my whole life. Each time I've read this story, I've cried at the end, when Alastair finally wakes up to the beauty that's all around him, which he nearly missed for his focus on the things he wanted but couldn't have.If you like quirky old ladies, anxious preteens, grumpy parrots, or THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, you absolutely must put THE SIMPLE ART OF FLYING on your TBR list.

What I LikedThe cuteness of this book will knock you over. Seriously! I grew up with parrots (macaws when I was really little, then conures and finally a very grouchy lovebird named Zeke) and Alastair is a PERFECT African Grey. And by that I mean I feel like if I walked past him, he'd give me side-eye and then throw a peanut shell at the back of my head. But I never knew any African Greys who were such good poets as Alastair. I never asked them, though. Maybe that's why they threw peanut shells...What I Would Have Liked to SeeYou know, I can't think of anything missing from this book. It was perfect for what it was trying to achieve. Maybe a disclaimer on one end that African Greys are difficult little buttheads and hard to take care of, and you should under no circumstances go buy one because you think it's going to be a good pet (it might be a good pet, but it will also make you go deaf and bite every finger to hamburger, so like... choices).My Favorite!Alastair's poetry was so wonderful! My favorite was "ULTRAVIOLET" where he's talking about how parrots see color versus how humans see color. The language in the poem is breathtaking, gorgeous, just incredible. I want to frame it and put it somewhere but I don't know what kind of context I could display it in. WHATEVER! Read it. Be swept away.TL;DRGrouchy parrot aims for escape his entire life, but poetry and cherries change his mind. Perfect for all ages!!

The book is told in the total of 3 perspectives:-The journal entries of an 11 year-old boy, Fritz, who volunteers time at his local pet store-Letters of an elderly lady, Albertina Plopky, who is always organizing get-togethers for the local seniors and enjoy involving animals into them, thus frequenting the local pet store-The thoughts and observations of a newly born African Grey Parrot, AlastairYes, I was very excited to read a book about a pet parrot, which is why I picked this up. I love parrots. I have one pet Senegal parrot named Soliel.I must say, Mrs. Leonardo just nailed the African Grey’s perspective (and behavior when told in other’s POVs). I have been around parrots since I was 6 years old, so I know how moody yet intelligent they are. Parrots are honestly a mixture of a dog and a cat– they love attention (and can be quite loving after they learn to trust you), but are probably trying to plot their escape, a way to steal your food, or a way to kill you. 😉 But seriously, I love having a pet parrot. You just need to know what you’re getting yourself into when you own one.Since parrots are just wonderfully entertaining creatures, Alastair steals the spotlight for this novel. He is so funny. Alastair’s true goal in life is to break out of the pet store with his younger sister, Aggie and fly freely away. He loves his little sister and is very protective of her. He is generally very distrusting of all other things, including both Fritz and Mrs. Plopky, which thus leads to many parrot-y antics. I laughed out loud so many times in this novel I lost count.Overall, it’s a very quick and easy to read middle grade novel. Definitely a funny and cute book for its 8-12 year-old audience, but I think many adults will enjoy this one as well. Alastair, Fritz, and Mrs. Plopky grow throughout and each learn a life lesson by the end, which just leads to one of the most heartwarming conclusions with a good moral to it. It was so very cute; I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year.

Feel free to judge this book by its cover, because the inside is every bit as exquisite. I'm not sure it's possible to love a book more. Cory Campbell Leonardo has written a story brimming with heart, humor, hope and wisdom. This incredible debut MG novel about two African Grey parrots will have you laughing and crying even as it fills you with its universal themes, dreams, and humanity. Told in several points of view, including a precocious 12-year-old wannabe vet, a curmudgeonly parrot, and a wonderful old lady named Bertie Plopky (is there any better name than that?), this is a gorgeous read from the cover to the last line. Please read it.

I can’t say enough good things about this book, it’s just so cute.

Great quality! Can't wait to read to my classroom before introducing my African Grey Parrot.