Learning to fly is a scary idea for Little Iffy, who is a "bitty griffin…part lion and part eagle." Just the thought of being up in the air is terrifying. Little Iffy wonders how he would descend and chooses to safely stay down. Eggs Pegasus, Iffy's flying-horse friend, hatches several plans on the playground to help him take off. He is encouraged to swing high, go down the slide, or be lifted by his friends and to "flap your wings" each time. But the frightened little griffin politely declines all suggestions. "No, thank you. Down is best." Searching for the safest spot, Iffy sits on "the down-est place he can find"—the seesaw—only to be thrown straight up in the air when his friends, stacked one on top of each other, tumble onto the raised side. "Whoops!" / "Yikes!" Soaring up, Iffy grabs onto a floating red balloon and begins to descend slowly until a bee's stinger pops it, sending Iffy down much more rapidly. "FLAP YOUR WINGS, LITTLE IFFY!!!" And just like that, Iffy is flying. It's hardly an original story, but simple, unencumbered dialogue and easy phrasing carry it along, and little listeners may repeat those heartening words of encouragement. Rounded, digital cartoon art of cuddly mythological creatures (there are also a dragon, faun, and unidentifiable blue figure) in pale hues sustain the central message. Friendship and supportive verbal encouragement help overcome fearful resistance in this pleasant if not especially remarkable tale. (Picture book. 3-5)

PreS Some toddlers have a variety of fears, while others embrace the chaos and uncertainty of their lives. Little Iffy is a griffin (that wonderful mythological creature that is a mix of eagle and lion), and, paradoxically, he is afraid of flying. When he imagines going up, he wonders how he will be able to come down. Iffy's friend, Eggs Pegasus, hatches several plans to help Iffy overcome his fear of flying, but Iffy can't attempt any of the plans or even flap his wings because he believes that "down is best." When Iffy is accidentally catapulted into the sky and finds himself coming down very fast, he is forced to flap his wings and thereby overcomes his fear of "up." The illustrations are endearing and colorful, while the limited text on each page is perfect for young children. Further, the words "up" and "down" are in different colors than the rest of the text ("up" is always orange while "down" is purple), allowing children who are just beginning to read to recognize these repetitive words more easily. VERDICT A charming read-aloud for young children that shows them how friends can help them overcome their fears. Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA