Pufflings Fly Free! A Rescue Tale from Iceland

An Icelandic family goes on Puffling Patrol in Paeff and Ólafsdóttir’s plucky factual story. The account begins after midnight as youth Freya and relations pile into their car to seek out baby puffins “who’ve accidentally landed in town, instead of on the water.” Matter-of-fact narration smoothly interweaves scientific info into a chronicle of the pale-skinned family’s expedition—explaining dangers facing the pufflings and post-rescue next steps, including wingspan measurement and leg banding. A subplot centering on Freya’s difficulty catching a bird winningly achieves resolution when the protagonist handles a hiding specimen. Thickly stroked and hatched gouache and colored pencil illustrations embrace a wide palette of icy blues as well as shimmering greens and yellows; scenes consistently capture lightly sketched figures, portrayed with various skin tones, coming to the rescue of their feathered finds. It’s a sprightly portrait of cross-species care. Back matter includes facts and bibliography. Ages 4–8. (June)