School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-In a lengthy poem made up of rhymed quatrains, Ross relates the fantastical adventures of 10-year-old Bartholomew Biddle, who, drawn to the storm raging outside his bedroom window, grabs the corners of his bedsheet and jumps into the wind, learning how to steer as he flies. He awakes in a banana palm above a beach full of grumpy pirates who mellow after he throws them all the bananas and his cashmere sweater. Weeks later, the pirate captain sends him on his way (".fun isn't fun/when it's all that you know./It may look like fun,/but it's just a big show"). In an abrupt change of scene, Bart finds himself in a town of bored working men and uniformed schoolboys who line up at the sound of a bell. He camps in his bedsheet tent and meets a boy named Densy, who learns to steer an old rowboat, but cannot bring himself to join the adventure. In segment three, Bart lands (for want of wind) in a deep canyon cove populated by a diverse group, all stranded with their myriad flying machines. Joined by Densy and his flying banner, Bart climbs the canyon wall and they catch the wind home. Myers's considerable creativity and talents with oils vivify both characters and scenery. However, a beaming Bartholomew floating high above the city; mean-faced pirates in tattered dress; the odd assortment of flying machines/dwellings-windmill, biplane, circus tent, et al-are not enough to bring this poem to life. The rambling, overly detailed text is the focus here, rather than the storytelling vehicle that it should be. The abrupt scene changes, plot, and wonderful characters suggest a movie script. This story would make a great one!-Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Heights Public Library, OH (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Ross's screenwriter background serves his debut well-this novella-in-verse boasts engaging characters, a sturdy plot, and the never-fail enchantment of flying. Bartholomew Biddle, age 10, discovers that strong winds allow him to turn his bedsheet into a parachute of sorts and fly to lands unknown. He idles away several weeks with fun-loving pirates, then stumbles into a dystopian world of regulated sameness ("They wore the same jackets./ They wore the same shoes./ They wore the same shirts/ in the same shades of blues"), where he meets Densmore, a boy who yearns to escape but dares not disobey the rules. Departing alone, Bartholomew lands in a deep canyon populated by generations of pilots who've been blown off-course (including a familiar-looking aviatrix named Amelia). Myers's (Clink) full-color oil paintings draw inspiration from Wyeth and Pyle, sharing the same pure-hearted innocence and theatrical gesture. The pirate episode is the only unnecessary freight in an otherwise fast-moving story about the potential for greatness within every child. It's not hard to imagine this on a big screen. Ages 6-10. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Hollywood headliner Ross, who shepherded to the big screen blockbusters such as Big, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville and, most recently, The Hunger Games, here takes flight with his first poetic venture involving a bedsheet, a boy and a whole lot of imagination. When a magical "Grandaddy of Winds" blows through the town of Fairview, 10-year-old Bartholomew Biddle grabs the sheet off his bed and thrillingly lofts into the night sky. The wind first spirits Bart to a tropical island, where he befriends some gnarly-looking pirates, who turn out to be sweet and generous, and learns appearances aren't necessarily what they seem. "You'd have to be daft," admonishes one of the pirates, "to go through this life / judging books by their covers. / If you jump to conclusions, / what's left to discover?" On his next flight, Bart makes the acquaintance of one Densmore Horatio Pool, a boy of similar age who longs to fly but initially lacks Bart's courage to "dare to be daring / when no one will dare you." Densy eventually defies convention, using a school banner to fly to meet Bart, whose third adventure has landed him in a windless canyon where the formerly fearless inhabitants are now literally "stuck in the doldrums." Throughout this witty verse novella, themes of self-reliance, kindness and a belief in all things in moderation resound, and Myers' enchanting, richly textured oils heighten the serious fun spurring the lighthearted didacticism. With a seductively Seuss-ean cadence, Ross' verse adventure delightfully dares young and old to seize the day. (Verse fantasy. 6-11)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
