First published 2004
A bird that sounds like a warthog calls from hidden branches, defying every listener's expectations. Across the world, a beloved quail faces death from thirst while her community watches helplessly. These creatures inhabit five stories that Howard Norman has gathered from different cultures, each tale exploring how birds have sparked human imagination across centuries. The stories reveal the mischief birds can cause, the mysteries they embody, and the magic they bring to those who encounter them. Norman collaborates with Caldecott medalists Leo and Diane Dillon, whose illustrations bring these international folk tales to vivid life. The collection shows how flight itself has inspired storytellers everywhere to create narratives about creatures who move between earth and sky. Each story captures the wonder that birds provoke in human observers, whether through their unexpected sounds, their struggles for survival, or their ability to appear and disappear at will. The book offers families a shared reading experience that connects them to storytelling traditions from around the globe.
Genres: short-stories, animals, literary-fiction, folklore
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, magical-creatures
78 pages · Hardcover · Harcourt Childrens Books