Mrs. Fitz's Flamingos [Hardcover]

Kevin McCloskey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1992 | Age Level: 3 and up

To improve her view, a Brooklyn apartment dweller buys flamingos at the five and ten cent store and displays them outside her window.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"There are many beautiful views in Brooklyn. The view from Mrs. Fitz's apartment window isn't one of them." This genial, white-haired lady decides to do something to brighten her bleak urban outlook. She buys two pink plastic flamingos at a sidewalk sale and brings them home to her fire escape. She keeps adding to the flock until the fire inspector tells her that her birds are violating a safety code, so she moves the burgeoning brood to a neighboring roof. Mrs. Fitz is seized with angst when a wrecking crew closes in on the site of her lofty aviary, but as their ball delivers its first blow, the wary flamingos take flight and head for (where else?) Florida. Aided by genial, cartoony artwork, a nice balance between nonsense and reality characterizes this goofy story. The sight of hot pink flamingos soaring over the rooftops of New York is curiously exhilarating. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-- Mrs. Fitz is a resourceful senior citizen who improves the view from the window of her Brooklyn apartment by affixing dozens of pink plastic flamingos, first to her fire escape, and then to the tar paper roof of the warehouse across the street. When a wrecker's ball demolishes the building, the flamingos save themselves by taking flight. Mrs. Fitz's view is improved by the construction of a new city park, but she fondly recalls the sight of the pink birds. An undistinguished text is supported by garish cartoon illustrations. The element of fantasy, when the fuchsia lawn ornaments fly south, is not foreshadowed or well integrated into the story, making it simply confusing. The book lacks the underlying emotion and universality of Yorink's Hey, Al (Farrar, 1986), in which the infusion of fantasy into the drab life of a city dweller is masterfully portrayed. --Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT-
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: Lothrop Lee & Shepard; 1St Edition edition (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688104746
• ISBN-13: 978-0688104740
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read, June 20, 2007

By 

becmap (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mrs. Fitz's Flamingos (Hardcover)

Mrs. Fitz's Flamingos is an engaging read for the younger bunch. It helps children understand that seniors need friends, too. Mrs. Fitz has a great memory of her trip and finds that a plastic flamingo makes her feel better; so, she saves to buy two flamingos every week. The rest of the story is fabulous. It introduces a child to the value of saving and buying a little when you have it versus buying a lot and owing for it. A great short read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mrs. fitz's Flamingos, November 4, 2011

By 

Barbara (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mrs. Fitz's Flamingos (Library Binding)

We used this book for exploring math. I have read it several times to my children and a group of children. The thrill of adding up how much she spent during the book kept the children on edge. Some of the children could really imagine the flamingos flying away. I recommend this book for working with adding money, mulitiplication, and just a good read.