You Can Do It, Bert!

It’s Bert’s “big day,” the narrator tells readers. But for what? Given that there’s nothing in the pictures except sky, a tree branch, and the orange, big-beaked bird peering downward with trepidation, readers may guess that the time has come for Bert to learn how to fly. But when Bert finally takes his leap, he doesn’t even flap his wings. What’s up with that? Könnecke’s (Anton and the Battle) single-plane vignettes are gems of minimalist visual humor; Bert doesn’t even utter a word (a funnily poignant “Help”) until he takes the plunge. The comic reveal—that the branch is actually a diving board for a swimming hole, where his friends await with swim caps and inner tubes—is handled with a light touch and easygoing reassurance. “When Bert says he’ll do something, he does it,” says his egretlike buddy, once Bert has joined them in the water. It’s a smart lesson for readers, as well: the line between scared stiff and blithely confident is actually very thin, and it’s often surprisingly easy to cross. Ages 3–up. (Mar.)