Wings

by Shinsuke Tanaka (Illustrator)

On a road by the sea a farmer finds an adorable, abandoned puppy. But this is no ordinary pooch . . . this pup has wings! The dog soon becomes a beloved member of the farmer’s family, and they discover the charms — and sometimes comical consequences — of life with a flying dog. But not everyone is in his youthful exuberance, the puppy wreaks havoc in the village. Will the free-spirited dog’s wings be clipped? Will he be grounded forever? Shinsuke Tanaka’s intricate pencil drawings, filled with action and emotion, carry the reader along on a buoyant and joyous adventure, a soaring flight of fancy to delight young and old alike.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Picture Books, Comics, Animals, Childrens

80 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2006

Reviews

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary/A Thoughtful Review:
This wordless picturebook, appropriate for all readers young and old, tells the powerful friendship that is built between an owner and his dog. One day, while a farmer is riding his bicycle home, he passes a box alongside the road that has a puppy inside. The puppy follows the farmer, and much to his surprise, he discovers this is no ordinary puppy...he has wings! The farmer and his wife bring this puppy into their home, and he soon becomes an adored member of the family. Although there are moments of frustration (especially bathing), the fondness and love continues to grow. The villagers, on the other hand, are not as tolerant of the flying-dog's antics. Will he be grounded for life?
Tanaka's pencil sketches tell a story filled with detail and the emotions of the characters. With each turn of a page, a new layer is added to the story and the reader is drawn into the story by evoking these same emotions. Sweet, simple, and oh so complex! How is it all possible?

[Woody Chichester · Rating 5 out of 5]

what an incredible book. No need for words because the story is all told through gorgeous illustration. Sometimes, you just have to fly.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet picture book with no words - a pup with wings! Has a sad twist but happiness in the end.

[Catherine Moulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable 😍

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another wordless graphic novel, though I had a much easier time following this story (maybe because it's appropriate for a younger audience, as well?). A farmer first rides by a box with a puppy in it, but changes his mind when he discovers that the puppy has wings. He and his wife and their other dog all welcome the new pup into their home and hearts. One day when he's older and bigger, he takes the farmer up for a ride in the sky. Unfortunately, it causes some havoc with the townspeople, who insist his wings be tied down. A sad, but possibly hopeful, ending is implied--did the tie come off in time?--but with knowledge that the winged dog's legacy carries on.

The black and white illustrations are soft and clear, with the dogs adorable and the humans humorous and distinct, some almost caricature-like.

[Justyn Rampa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

These wordless graphic novels are intense!

Shinsuke Tanaka does beautiful illustrations that are suggestive of Norman Rockwell. If Norman Rockwell ever had illustrations that included a little dog with wings:-)

Basically, a farmer finds a tiny dog in a box on the side of the road. This dog has wings and can fly. He is immediately taken in by the family and they of course love him. Unfortunately the winged dog wreaks some havoc with the townspeople. Their reaction sets off a chain of events leading to a potentially dark ending with a dash of hope in the final pages.

Really excellent use of graphics to tell a powerful story!

[Mike Aragona · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Norman Rockwell had done comic books or graphic novels, this is what they would be like.[return][return]What a beautiful, heartwarming story that Shinsuke Tanaka presents in a completely silent one image per page book. The story of a special puppy that comes into the lives of an old country couple and the way their world changed because of it.[return][return]Beautifully rendered, the book speaks volumes in the images portrayed. It is a fine body of work, worthy of being seen by millions. I just loved it.

[Michiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful wordless picture book telling the story of a farmer who finds a little dog with wings. With the best of intentions, the farmer binds the little dogs wings to keep him out of trouble and the consequences are devastating. The illustrations require careful reading of the characters to capture the story and the emotion. Used with emergent readers and writers, rich language and story could be inspired by these simple charcoal drawings.

[Mery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stumbled across this graphic novel/picture book in the clearance section at Half Price Books, and bought it on a whim. So glad I did- gorgeous art, combined with a touching, whimsical storyline. It makes me shocked that this artist isn't better known. Definitely worth a look if you come across it, a happy surprise.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful little wordless picture book/graphic novel. The illustrations are incredible and the story works so well without words. Has anyone else read it? I'm curious to know what you think happens at the end.

[Challis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an imaginative, and very sweet book. No words in this book, but wonderful artistry that shows without telling.
Wonderful for all ages, as even very young children can figure out what's going on, without having the need or ability to read anything,

[Aishe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for kids to use their imagination, not necessarily appropriate for babies as it requires the ability to understand sequential pictures as a narrative. It's not a good one for bedtime if you don't want to make the story narration up, but it is excellent for pre-readers!

[Aerin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming premise in this tale-without-words, though still too ambiguous for my 6- and 5- year olds to understand.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was a bit sad in the middle, but in the end, you can't keep a good thing tied.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations, but I am glad to have read other reviews which make it obvious that I am not the only one who was a bit confused by the story.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little wordless book.

[Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully detailed wordless picture book with incredible shading and emotion. I was a little disappointed that it was in greyscale, especially because the puppy on the front is in color, but as I "read" on it grew on me. The darling puppy with wings captured my heart and I think this book would definitely have made me very happy as a kid. I spent a good half hour just looking it through again and again, every time noticing and appreciating the detail and care put into the story telling. This book is a feat of illustration.