Books like A Wish for Wings That Work: An Opus Christmas Story

I've read and loved this book for as long as I can remember. It's probably one of the finest Christmas stories ever written, with the whole unlikely hero angle being worked to a frenzy. It's not something I can say I expect when I read Mr. Breathed's work, though I'm coming to realize that maybe I should. Of the books that I've read by him lately, each one has cleverly fused a story with some moral theme. A lot of his work seems to be focused on the loneliness of modern life, and his characters usually are on a quest to overcome that. This one is no different. Opus longs for acceptance among his bird peers and believes that proper wings will provide him with that. Of course, he eventually begins to see the value he has as a penguin and in fact does get his wish to fly with the birds in his own way, but the fact that this is a moral tale kind of hides behind the irony and humor most of the time. Wonderful book. Brilliantly funny and heartfelt all the way through.