This book was not what I thought it was going to be about at all.

 

So, Al is a janitor who lives with his dog in a meager existence.  They meet a bird who offers to take all their troubles away.  They fly away to the magical bird land.  Al and his dog are as happy as can be...until they start turning into birds themselves.  They decide it's time to fly back home.

 

The closer they get to home the less bird-like they become.  The dog drops somewhere in the ocean but Al makes it home.  Fortunatley the dog is a good swimmer and makes it home as well.

 

This is very much a 'the grass is always greener on the other side' type story.  We both liked it.  Cute pictures, cute story.

 

This book won the Caldecott Medal in 1987.