I enjoy a good picture book round up. I wanted to include a theme, it could have been, I read all these books online, but decided two birds and a star, was in my (not so) humble opinion, a great theme. Why am I so not-humble? Well, one should stand up for what they believe, be strong in their opinions Like Madeleine L’Engle was. And we see that in A Book, Too, Can Be a Star: The Story of Madeleine L’Engle and the Making of a Wrinkle in Time. This is a poetic and slightly romanticized biography that touches on the highlights of the life of L’Engle. It also shows how her book, A Wrinkle in Time, came to be. We see her as a child, young woman and finally the adult who knew her book was special regardless of what anyone else said. And we see this via Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Jennifer Adams’ text. The text allows us to find how L’Engle had an imagination and a creative look at life, and how the star of the book is how she would view the world, adventures, and how we are able to express ourselves and even touch the stars. Adelina Lirius’ equally and lovely illustrations complement and complete the text. The colors are bright, bold and also comfortable. They are busy and not overwhelming but the pages are full. Included is a timeline and other information that flushes things out. 
The first bird of my roundup is Waverly in Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galapagos Albatross (Friendship Books for Kids, Kids Book about Fear) by Samantha Haas. Waverly is an albatross that knows it is time to fly, but is afraid. Their fear and anxiety lead them to finding new friends that help them understand the wonder of trying and exploring, even if you are afraid. After all, even the large whale shark worries and has fears too. As we explore the concepts of worries, fears and friendship, we learn about Española Island in the Galapagos. Perhaps a little known area of the world is shown in all of its brightness and wonder. And even the poo-splatteredness! These animals and the landscape are shown in bright, wonderful colored and detailed illustrations by Rosie Eve. Things are both sweet, comfortable and sharp and edgy. The rhyming text can sometimes be a bit off putting for me, but that bounce to the language grabs the younger reader allowing most ages to enjoy. Afterwards with more factual information and not story-information, helps add to things and allows the book to grow with your child. There are also some Spanish phrases included, that are mostly able to be understood, but I wished there had been a glossary for pronunciation. 
And since Waverly is due April 2024, you can read about a penguin in the meantime with The Penguin of Ilha Grande: From Animal Rescue to Extraordinary Friendship by Shannon Earle. The story, based on true events, allows us to see how one man and a penguin (named because the nephew of the man tried to say penguin in Portuguese) adopted each other for several years and how a family comes in all shapes, sizes and species. Brazil, comes alive when Seu Joäao (a grandfatherly man of the village) finds an oil-covered penguin. He cares for the bird, and the children and adults of the village love watching them. Of course, Seu Joaao and the bird bond, but one day, the little penguin has an amazing (if not odd and awkward) transformation, and leaves his human home for the ocean. But this does not mean this is the end of our story. The art of Renato Alarcao compliments the text of Earle. The colors are soft, but not watered down, the details busy and yet, not overly crowded, gut the pages are full. And the overall tone is warm. The flow of things is steady, and the afterwards gives more of actual events. This part of the story is good for older children as it does not shy away from the fact that (spoiler) one day the penguin no longer returns after several years of doing so.
The first and last book are best for at least the five and up crowd, with the middle book being good for four and up. However, with the two bird books, the reading of the illustrations is possible.