I just read Stellaluna for the 1st time since I've been a stepmom (and a custodial one, at that).
If you're not familiar with the story, a baby fruit bat named Stellaluna is separated from her mother by an owl attack, falls into a nest of baby birds and grows up with them, although she always feels like an outsider because she thinks the bugs the birds eat are yucky and Mama Bird scolds her for hanging off the nest by her feet, since the baby birds want to copy her and Mama Bird fears they'll fall to their deaths.
Then Stellaluna is reunited with her bat mother, who amazingly survived the owl attack and whisks her away, promising she'll never have to eat another bug as long as she lives. They'll only eat the most delicious fruit and they'll hang upside down all the time and fly around all night and do all the fun things Mama Bird never let Stellaluna do.
Later, Stellaluna invites her bird step-siblings to visit her with the bats. They think bat life is really fun, but can't hack it long-term because they can't see at night. But everyone resolves that despite their differences, they'll always be friends.
Well, I never wondered this before, but... What about the Mama Bird, who kept Stellaluna alive, fed her and encouraged her to fly, when her birth mother wasn't around to do it? Things may have been a bit uncomfortable for Stellaluna, but Mama Bird raised her the only way she knew how. And scolding her about hanging upside down? Well, it was a matter of life and death for the baby birds! What else could she have done? But Stellaluna doesn't miss her one bit and Mother Bat never says, "I'm so grateful Mama Bird kept you alive until I found you!" Just, "Come away with us and you'll never have to eat that yucky food again!" Hmph!
If you're not familiar with the story, a baby fruit bat named Stellaluna is separated from her mother by an owl attack, falls into a nest of baby birds and grows up with them, although she always feels like an outsider because she thinks the bugs the birds eat are yucky and Mama Bird scolds her for hanging off the nest by her feet, since the baby birds want to copy her and Mama Bird fears they'll fall to their deaths.
Then Stellaluna is reunited with her bat mother, who amazingly survived the owl attack and whisks her away, promising she'll never have to eat another bug as long as she lives. They'll only eat the most delicious fruit and they'll hang upside down all the time and fly around all night and do all the fun things Mama Bird never let Stellaluna do.
Later, Stellaluna invites her bird step-siblings to visit her with the bats. They think bat life is really fun, but can't hack it long-term because they can't see at night. But everyone resolves that despite their differences, they'll always be friends.
Well, I never wondered this before, but... What about the Mama Bird, who kept Stellaluna alive, fed her and encouraged her to fly, when her birth mother wasn't around to do it? Things may have been a bit uncomfortable for Stellaluna, but Mama Bird raised her the only way she knew how. And scolding her about hanging upside down? Well, it was a matter of life and death for the baby birds! What else could she have done? But Stellaluna doesn't miss her one bit and Mother Bat never says, "I'm so grateful Mama Bird kept you alive until I found you!" Just, "Come away with us and you'll never have to eat that yucky food again!" Hmph!
