WISDOM TALES PRESS GIVEAWAY: The Conference of the Birds by Alexis York Lumbard

THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS
Retold by Alexis York Lumbard, illustrated by Demi
Wisdom Tales Press, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-937786-02-1
Picture Book Folktale
K and up
Reviewed from copy provided by publisher for review.
All opinions expressed are my own.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Late one moonless night in a far corner of the world there gathered a large flock of birds.  They gathered in sorrow, since they had been, for so very long, deprived of a king.

Thus beings the magical adventure of these wayfaring birds.  With encouragement from their wise guide, the hoopoe bird, they overcome fears, physical hardships, and their own inner weakness in order to reach the hieghts of the mountain to meet their King.

Children and adults alike will relate to this inspiring tale about conquering one's faults and practicing the virtues of humility, patience, detachment from worldly goods, and courage.

Lavishly illustrated and based on an 800 year old classical tale, this fascinating and beautiful book will delight children and provide parents with a wonderful tool for teaching children about moral development.

REVIEW

The minute I realized this book was illustrated by Demi, I knew it would be beautiful. And it is, very much so. I loved looking at the beautiful drawings/paintings, the rich colors with the intricate borders are typical Demi.  What amazed me about this was the detail.  On the borders of drawing Demi shows the movements of a particular kind of bird.  The time and effort this must have taken in learning how birds move and fly.  Her illustrations are always so delicate looking, yet stunning, I almost wished the birds would hop from the page onto my hand so I could get a better look at them.

I loved the story as well.  As the synopsis describes there are many themes shared in the story, like many folktales, and this one has a strong Christian feel to it, although God is referred to mostly as the King.  I liked the fact that the birds had a leader, someone to follow.  This reminded me that all of us need role models, young and old alike.  I also appreciated the theme of sacrifice and how some of the birds had to sacrifice something in order to make the journey, whether it was a possession, an attitude, a bad habit, they had to go in order for the birds to make it to their destination safely. A beautiful story, beautifully told about the journey of life, especially appropriate for Christians, parents or children.

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the publisher for generously offering TWO print copies for my readers.

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