Welty's only "children's book", this was just enormous fun for me to read. Full of word play and puns, and bird characters that act exactly as they ought to given their personalities and the incredible situation they find themselves in. Arturo the Parrot is an essential employee of Mr. Friendly's Shoe Store, where Mrs. Thompson brings her children to outfit their feet for a new school year. Robbie Thompson is not thrilled with this project, and upon finally leaving the store makes the pronouncement that "Shoes are for the birds!" Well, Arturo's motto is "If you hear it, tell it", so naturally he repeats the phrase where it will do the most harm, in the hearing of the silly, bossy, self-absorbed Goose. What ensues is a store full of birds all trying on shoes with hilarious results, until ultimately everyone except the Goose decides that shoes are not for birds and Arturo decides his motto ought more properly be "If you hear it, think it over". I'm not sure at what age this might begin to appeal...there are an awful lot of words on the page, it is definitely not "easy reading", and many of the jokes would be lost on a child with less love of language and knowledge of birds than our wonderful Miss Eudora had. But I'm very glad I discovered it.
March 2016 ( )