The Wing Shop

by Elvira Woodruff, Stephen Gammell (Illustrator)

After his family moves to a different part of town, Matthew tries to get back to his old house by trying on different pairs of wings in an unusual wing shop

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Elvira Woodruff is an American children's author known for blending fantasy and history in her stories. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, she studied English literature at Adelphi and Boston University. Before becoming a writer, she worked a variety of jobs and later found inspiration while working as a librarian in Easton, Pennsylvania. Woodruff has published numerous children's books, including George Washington's Socks, The Memory Coat, and Dear Levi. Her work has been praised for its engaging storytelling and historical depth. Throughout her career, she has created imaginative, heartfelt stories that continue to captivate young readers.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful little story of a little boy who tries out various wings from the wing shop in an effort to go to the old home his family have recently moved from. The wings, however, are not necessarily co-operative. The watercolour illustrations are imaginative and interesting enough to provoke further stories between the adult reading and the lucky child listening to this lovely little story.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun story, but I thought the ending was lacking.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had not read this book in a very long time. I’m happy to say it holds up really well! This book is about a boy named Matthew who really just wants to go back to his old house on the other side of town. He doesn’t like his new place very much. He finds a shop that sells wings and the owner’s granddaughter lets him try on a few to see if they will take him back to his old house. The results, of course, are pretty fun to watch. This book takes a very real fear of the unknown (moving to a new place) and addresses it head on with empathy, compassion and a good amount of humor. I saw on Amazon that this one’s out of print, and I think it’s a real shame. Hopefully someone will think to print it again.

Mia’s Year of Books: Day 70

[Mella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable and delightfully creative with wondrous use of color!

[Sam Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super creative! :)

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely, and the story starts out cute, but I think the ending is sort of strange. I'm not sure why the boy's family moved as he was trying out various wings.

[Arielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations, and the message. It's a quick fantasy that leads our main dude into adventure, and the realization that people are more important than places. Super sweet.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

CURRICULUM: RR/Classics