The Gooney Birds of Southport by Hope Taylor Spencer

This rhyming picture book is author Hope Taylor Spencer's second children's book. Again she's achieving her lifelong dream of publishing such a book. The stanzas tell the story of a mysterious artist in the quaint town of Southport, North Carolina, who paints colorful, fanciful, one-of-a-kind Gooney Birds on donated or recovered wooden boards. She, friends, and others in the know deliver the Gooney Birds at night all over in Southport, Oak Island, and beyond. No one knows the name of the person who's creating the birds. Each Gooney Bird is unique with bright feathers and a quirky smile. The birds appear everywhere: at the lighthouse, in shop windows, by trees, on benches, in yards, and all around. Tourists and town folks alike search all over town for Gooney Birds to take home. The artist's "message is clear: 'Spread kindness, ' she writes. 'Never fail to share cheer.' " The author closes the story with suggestions for ways others can share kindness where they live today. Readers will nod knowingly and maybe even become inspired by these suggestions as they read the book. They'll want to read this tale time and again to enjoy the rhymes, the colorful artwork, and the messages of kindness, cheer, and love.