The Flamingo

Few books deserve the "perfect" designation, but Guojing's The Flamingo--an Indie Next pick--arguably earns that appellation. The celebrated author presents another remarkable, near-wordless story that gloriously commemorates bonds between humans and animals. A girl visiting her grandmother's home is fascinated by a feather with a reddish tip. Lao Lao's story about a childhood bike ride turns the pages vivid as she finds a lone egg washed up on shore. During granddaughter and Lao Lao's visit, in between delicious meals, flying kites, exploring and cuddling, Lao Lao reveals how the egg hatches into a flamingo friend... who eventually must fly away.

Guojing exquisitely adapts the cycle of belonging-parting-reuniting by highlighting the bendable but unbreakable attachments between devoted beings. Exceptionally noteworthy are her characters' expressions, especially those of delight, discovery and love. Every page is a splendid visual feast, ensuring readers a soaring, spectacular flight of fancy and imagination. --Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon

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