A Wish for Wings That Work : An Opus Christmas Story

Rating:
Summary: Opus is the best
Review: Berkeley Breathed has some of the most richly animated stories I've ever seen. I owned this book for a couple of years before I realized how great the illustrations in this book were. After working in a primary school library and reading various stories to the little kids, I realized that Breathed's books were far superior to most of the others. The detail and color present in this story takes a back seat to only the story itself. This is, perhaps, the best Christmas story I've read, and it's one that children really respond to. Who can't relate to feeling inferior to others and wanting to be different? Opus has this problem. He's a penguin who wants to fly. It's not until his unique talents are needed that his dreams of flying can come true.

The story has a great compliment of characters including: Bill the Cat, some snow ducks, and Ronald Ann. They all (in some way) try to help Opus, but the help comes from the least likely source. This is a great story that children will love to hear every year, and one that the parents will look forward to hearing every year. It's not trite and it's not purile. It's a good story with great pictures that should be in everyone's library.

Rating:
Summary: i love this book
Review: i have read this book to my son since he was three years old [ he's now almost 8] and he still loves it. a great and gentle christmas story along with wonderful illustrations. good for adults too, especially those of us who loved opus from the bloom county comic strip.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the Best!
Review: I take this book out only at Christmas (yes, it's my copy). I've run it thru 9 neices and nephews now. They absolutely love it! They ask for it. My one neice memorized every word of it (before she could read it herself). She would recite it with me as I read.

This is an adorable little Christmas story with an adorable message for young children. The art is wonderful. And the main character is our good friend, Opus the Penguine

Rating:
Summary: A tale about Christmas, wishes and reality
Review: This is a delightful tale about Christmas, wishes and reality. Opus the penguin laments the fact that he cannot fly like the snow ducks. Therefore, he writes a letter to Santa Claus asking for wings that work. Before going to bed on the night before Christmas, he tells a snow duck that he will be flying on Christmas morning. However, as Santa is making his rounds, there is a malfunction of the sleigh connections and the sleigh is disconnected from the pulling reindeer. Santa's sleigh begins to sink in a cold, icy lake and Opus is awakened.
He dives into the lake and swims like he never swam before. Clutching a towrope in his beak, he pulls the sleigh to land. Santa then tells him "I see no penguins here, whose wings only sputter. Tonight it was courage that flew yours beyond others." The next morning a group of snow ducks arrives and carries Opus into the air.
The moral of the story is that when we are wishing for new skills or possessions, we should never lose sight of the value of that we already have. It is done very well and fits well into the general spirit of the Christmas season.