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PICTURE BOOKS
Ries, Johanna

The Speckled Feather

40 pp. | North-South | May, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-7358-4447-6 $17.95
(2) K-3 Translated by David Henry Wilson. Illustrated by Johanna Ries. "Three snow-white birds," Ade, Emem, and Nuru, sit atop an elephant. "There were never any quarrels on the elephant's back"--until one day a bright speckled feather floats across the savanna. It is plucked out of the air by Ade, who tucks the feather into his own plumage and proclaims, "I'm the most beautiful bird in the whole savanna!" Of course, arguments, intrigue, and treachery ensue. Emem and Nuru plot to join forces to get the feather, though Emem secretly wants it all to himself. The three birds become so loud and annoying that the elephant finally roars, "ENOUGH!" and dumps the freeloading birds off his back. Real excitement follows as a shadow lurks in the grass, yellow eyes glowing as it stalks the birds. Suddenly, the wild dog attacks, only to be thumped by "a large, gray, powerful something" and sent on its way. The birds are saved, and a friendship is restored. This theme of bickering companions who discover the value and need of friendship is common in fables, but it is given a fresh and inventive spin here, with plenty of lively dialogue perfect for classroom readers' theater performances and gorgeous amber-hued illustrations that play beautifully with perspective and exude the heat and feel of an African savanna. A well-paced and visually attractive picture-book debut.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

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