The Flying Bed [Hardcover]

Nancy Willard (Author), John Thompson (Painter)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Newbery Medalist Nancy Willard weaves a tale of magic in a lavishly illustrated picture book about a poor baker and his wife whose luck changes when they receive an enchanted flying bed.

Newbery Medalist Nancy Willard spins an original fairy tale about a poor baker who finds a beautiful bed for his wife in a strange new shop--for free! Perhaps his bad luck has turned? But there are more wonders in store, for the bed has magical powers. That night, the couple flies across the heavens to meet a master baker who gives them some magic yeast that will make them the best--and richest--bakery in town! But the yeast comes with a promise that will test the baker's integrity, and will eventually teach the baker and his wife about the true riches of love and loyalty.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–4—In Florence, Guido is a second-generation baker who inherits neither his father's talent nor his good character. Both flaws cause his business to suffer, and eventually money grows so scarce that Guido sells all the furniture. After his wife, Maria, furiously demands at least a bed to sleep in, Guido finds an enchanted bed that can fly at night. It takes the pair on wild rides over the city and into the land of the master bakers where they accept a bag of magic yeast. After this, their business booms until Guido gets greedy and foolishly exchanges some of the yeast for what turn out to be counterfeit bills. Then the business goes to pieces, and Maria gets sick and goes on another midnight flight in the bed, and when she returns, things again turn around for the hapless couple. The main problem with this text-intensive illustrated story is that it covers a lot of ground and then fails to make much of a point. The plot is entirely too complicated and arbitrary. The imagery is rich and wonderful, the photorealistic details in the art are nuanced, the illusion of light playing across each page is inspired, and every feature, down to the veins and knuckles in Guido's hand, is rendered flawlessly. But the story is downright puzzling, and then it abruptly crash-lands into a "happy" ending that makes little sense. Thompson's art is notable, but this is not Willard's best work.—Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Guido has inherited the family business, a bakery in Florence, which he runs with his wife. Unlike his father, who took pride in giving customers his best, Guido scrimps on ingredients and mixes day-old cookies with fresh ones rather than cut their price. Soon poverty dogs the young couple, until Guido brings home an ornately carved bed. To their amazement, the bed flies, transporting them to a master baker, who gives them a little bag of special yeast. The bakery flourishes until Guido sells some of the yeast, and their troubles begin again. The long story is well constructed and gracefully told, and Thompson contributes a series of fine paintings, including some haunting cityscapes and several scenes of the ornately carved bed flying over the city and the countryside. Though the length of the text may limit audience appeal, this unusual picture book neatly melds magic with soft-edged realism. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: The Blue Sky Press (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590256106
• ISBN-13: 978-0590256100
• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 9 x 11.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #987,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book, June 18, 2007

By 

W. Korfhage (River Forest, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Flying Bed (Hardcover)

Enjoyable story, and very nice pictures. It also prompted my son to ask questions about the greed of the baker and which led to a discussion of what people value.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Features warm paintings by John Thompson, June 10, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flying Bed (Hardcover)

Nancy Willard's THE FLYING BED features warm paintings by John Thompson, 2006 Hamilton King award winner, as it surveys the end of summer in Florence and a magic shop crammed with beds. A woman's offer to show off the best bed of all results in some surprises in this fun fantasy for grades 2-3.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, August 15, 2008

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Flying Bed (Hardcover)

Guido and his spouse, Maria, live in the beautiful city of Florence in a small apartment over the bakery they inherited from Guido's father. Although they work extremely hard and lead frugal lives, the money they generate from the bakery is simply not enough to cover their living costs. A dwindling customer base is the main reason for this sorry state of affairs, for Guido, unlike his father, skimped on the key ingredients and made flavorless dough. Although Guido resorted to selling off their furniture, piece by piece, Maria drew the line when he sold their bed and she demanded that he find a new one.

Serendipity leads Guido to an extraordinary bed shop, where he acquires what is, unbeknownst to him, a magical bed. This bed takes Guido and Maria to a magical town far away, where a master baker gives them a special kind of yeast. When Guido and Maria bake bread with the unusual yeast, the delicious smells and tastes bring them so many new customers that their financial constraints disappear virtually overnight. Unfortunately, they learn the hard way that such a gift is not to be squandered through greed and short-sightedness.

The Flying Bed offers readers a powerful set of lessons about entrepreneurship and poverty, cleverly woven into an imaginative story with stunning images. Children and adults alike will appreciate the interesting plot, the well-developed characters, and the eye-catching scenes from Florence and the bakery. This first-rate book makes a valuable addition to any collection of children's literature with substantive content and dramatic illustrations. The Flying Bed puts fun and magic into the business of learning economics.