Book Review: Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers

Book: Up and Down
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Published: 2010
Source: Local Library

There were once two friends, a penguin and a boy. The penguin wanted to fly. Like a true friend, the boy did his best to help his friend. When the penguin discovers a way to achieve his dream, he’s so excited that he rushes off without telling the boy where he’s going. As the penguin gets closer to flight, the boy gets more and more worried about his missing friend. Will he ever find him? And will the penguin succeed in his quest for flight?

What is it about Oliver Jeffers' books? Dreamy, sweet, a little kooky, they captivate me every time. The soft-edged watercolors act as a perfect complement to the just slightly off-center stories. Penguins wanting to fly is not new, but by means of a living cannonball? Genius. And the tender ending, with the penguin realizing his dream wasn’t exactly what it was cracked up to be, but the boy is there for him always. Awww.