Who hasn’t wondered what it would be like to soar high in the sky, perhaps flapping alongside surprised birds or soaring through fluffy clouds? In the endearing The Fantastic Floating Mr. Finnegan, translated from German by Tammi Reichel, Swiss duo Rebecca Gugger and Simon Röthlisberger (partners in creativity and in life) contemplate that possibility via the character of Finnegan, who begins to float shortly after his birth.
As the happy-go-lucky baby bobs above his crib, his parents worry: “They certainly didn’t want little Finnegan to drift away!” They attach sandbags to his diaper and consult a parade of scientists, but even the most intrepid “levitation experts” fail to understand Finnegan’s unusual relationship with gravity. Unfazed by their consternation—amusingly depicted on page after page of open-mouthed adults as Finnegan hovers above—the weightless boy makes the most of his situation in scenes sure to delight mischievous readers. Whether he’s “reach[ing] the cookie jar on the top shelf without any trouble” or “sleep[ing] weightless under the starry sky,” life is good for the young levitator.
While “Everyone was happy” after piling literal baggage (a chair, lamp, umbrella, anchor and more) upon him and mooring him to the ground, “Finnegan had the quiet feeling that he had lost something.” Sadly, as the decades pass, his buoyancy fades. But as Gugger and Röthlisberger remind readers, sometimes an unexpected encounter or new friend can change our perspective and revive our joy.
The Fantastic Floating Mr. Finnegan is brimming with charming, clever illustrations that encourage readers to embrace their quirks and value those who celebrate them just as they are. It’s a heartwarming bedtime tale and an excellent conversation starter for kids of all ages who want to elevate and embrace the buoyancy in their lives. Fly high!