Birdflight by Carla M. Pacis

Birdflight Reviews

• 
  Raissa

  The book covers the timely topic of endangered species and concern for the environment, especially birds. It also portrays but does not didactically emphasize the values of compromise, teamwork, and resourcefulness.
  The plot is fast-paced. Descriptions are deftly woven into the narration, so that there are few descriptive paragraphs that slow down the action. In the same way, environmental issues are smoothly integrated into the storyline. For instance, the threats of city life to birds are shown as hurdles in the birds’ process of escape. The book thus dispenses information without interrupting the narrative flow, and makes the facts and lessons more palatable to the readers this way.
  The traits of birds were utilized and brought out by the events. The difficulty in flying through the city grew out of the hornbill’s natural flight pattern, for instance. An injury of one bird not only adds a bit of drama, but shows the difficulties and behavior of injured birds and allows an allusion to the loyalty of parrot mates (like many bird species, I believe they mate for life).
  A number of character and plot archetypes are recognizable in this book. The Princess Hornbill is presented as an innocent, something of a damsel in distress in the beginning, and the name given to her makes a nice allusion, one which children can easily pick up. Actually, according to the author’s notes the official name of the bird is Sulu Hornbill. Calling her a Princess ties in with her importance and the fairy tale-like quest of seeking a prince. I think it is interesting that the author chose to make the protagonist female, since it is more typical for a male to go in search of a mate. There is a reversal of the usual gender roles in literature, with the Prince alone and distressed and the Princess developing the strength and courage to go on a quest to find her prince. Aside from the Little Mermaid and Rapunzel, traditional fairy tale princesses do not seek out and rescue princes. This role reversal is in line with the values of our times, in which it is creditable for a woman to take action to solve her problems, even if the problem is finding a man to marry.
  The owl is the wise adviser and the eagle the patriarch, tying in with traditional conceptions of these birds. This saves time in character development. The characterization of other birds is cleverly and aptly based on their innate personalities, with parakeets portrayed as being curious and playful and the mynah as a chatterbox. Stereotypes are not always relied upon, however, as the thoughtful young rat who yearns to be a hero proves, turning out to be an unlikely hero.
  Quest and life cycle are intertwined, as the Princess Hornbill’s quest can be achieve only through her maturation. Her finding the male hornbill is not only an achievement of a quest but a rebirth with environmental repercussions. The author could have dealt with more birds that are endangered, but I think it is just as well she chose to focus on just one bird to show that the saving even just one or two birds makes a difference.
  As for literary devices, the most unusual used was the interspersing of the male hornbill’s situation. Cutting to the male hornbill’s plight between chapters adds a sense of urgency to the quest and provides a welcome break in the story, which would otherwise proceed with a relentless pace.
  The speedy pace may suit young readers who just want action, but I think the story could have benefited from lengthier reflection and build-up of suspense. The many exciting events could still have been built up to be more dramatic. Occasionally lulling a reader into a sense that everything is going well makes a complication more of a shock when it is suddenly introduced. In the same way, more time could have been taken to find solutions to the problems to increase the tension. For instance, the birds could have discussed more ideas about how to find food when they were in an old belfry before Princess Hornbill came upon the solution. The extremely quick introduction of a solution and its acceptance (surely some would initially resist food they were unused to?) feels almost like deus ex machina. The internal and relational conflicts could also have been emphasized more, especially the hornbill protagonist’s anxiety about the quest and her sorrow at having to leave friends behind. The ending is also a bit abrupt. It would give more satisfaction to the readers to see that a character we have come to care about has not only achieved her goal but is now happy, capable of looking after herself and her family and keeping in touch with her old bird friends. I think the readers would also have enjoyed more development of the vicarious feeling of being in the skin of the birds in flight, as E.B.White so skillfully does in The Trumpet of the Swan.
  Even without these elements, though, the author manages to tell a thrilling and touching tale, and teach a great deal about Philippine birds, their plight and their needs, without a hint of didacticism. It provides a unique point of view about the Philippine environment. It is unusual among locally-published environmental books for being lengthier and in-depth, targeting older children. It also presents the issue as a global problem by including an imported bird.
  While illustrated, the book does not rely on visuals to draw the reader’s interest in the topic. The illustrations serve to show the reader what the birds look like rather than develop them as characters. Neither do they clearly present events or settings. The book could have benefited from detailed illustrations that bring to life the settings as well as make the readers appreciate the beauty of the birds. But the story is compelling enough and told in a style engaging enough to hold the reader’s attention even without illustrations. The text gives rich details that are woven into the story, informing without too much exposition. With its simple, focused style and myriad fascinating details, this book is certain to appeal to young readers.
  
  
• 
  jini

  "All the other birds looked on in great anticipation. The Princess Hornbill must be saved! Otherwise, they saw the same fate for their kind."
  
  This book is about a Princess Sulu Hornbill escaping with a bunch of other birds. Pretty cliche though. They were also a lot of characters.
  
  Nevertheless, this book is getting children as well as adults to learn why birds annoy us and why they must be saved. I wish this had a sequel; I can't wait!
• 
  Catherine

  fantastic