Signpost starlings

The title is a way of including two William Mayne quotes. William Mayne has written nearly 100 children's books since 1953.

John and Alice were looking at a
signpost where two roads joined
each other. Alice was looking at
it more than John was. She was
looking at it all over, but he was
reading it.
"It's like a pencil with wings,"
said Alice. "What did it write on
itself?
"It wrote some words I don't
know," said John...Signpost have
names of places on them."

The Water Boatman, William Mayne, 1964, pages 5-7 (illustration shows pencil like signpost)

Another William Mayne quote:

There was a noise like a wheel spinning on a dry axle. It
came down the chimney after the kettle had been lifted
off the fire. Mother wondered if it was the boiler behind
the red coal about to burst, but Daddy, who was out in
the yard mixing cement, said it was a gathering of
starlings on the roof looking for lodging.

First page of The Changeling by William Mayne, 1961

William Mayne tilts your thinking of the ordinary.