First published 1957
Lina sits in her classroom in the small Dutch fishing village of Shora and asks a simple question that changes everything. Why don't the storks come here anymore to build their nests? Her five classmates start wondering too. The children decide they must bring the storks back to their village. They need wheels for the storks to nest on, but finding wheels proves harder than expected. The search pulls in fishermen, shopkeepers, and neighbors. Old Douwa joins the effort. Grandmother Sibble contributes what she can. Even the most reluctant villagers get caught up in the children's determination. The whole community works together, hunting for wheels and preparing for the storks' return. Their shared hope transforms Shora from a place storks avoid into a village ready to welcome them home.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Shora, The Netherlands
Period: 20th-century
312 pages · Paperback · Lutterworth Press