BILLY THE BIRD

King-Smith’s (The Roundhill, 2000, etc.) reliable fantasies usually focus on an animal with a special talent: a green mouse, an alien rabbit, and of course, that famously chatty, sheep-herding pig. His latest fantasy adventure features a boy with an unusual talent: four-year-old Billy Bird, who can fly like a . . . well, like a bird, of course—although only when the moon is full. The story is narrated by Billy’s eight-year-old sister, Mary, who has an unusual ability of her own (she can converse with her guinea pig, Mr. Keylock, and her wise, elderly cat Lilyleaf). Mary and her pets keep Billy’s monthly flying a secret, and the only real excitement occurs when Billy scares off a cat burglar who is climbing the ivy of their house. The premise is intriguing, and the animal characters have some appeal, but the story fails to get off the ground for a truly captivating flight of fancy. Because the story is told from Mary’s viewpoint, we never experience what Billy feels as he flies, and he can’t remember himself once he lands back in his own bed. The format of short chapters, large type size, and interspersed full-paged illustrations is suited to readers moving into chapter books, but there isn’t really enough action or humor here for most kids. (Fiction. 8-10)