OUP ISBN 9780192771551 £6.99
Crow thinks he is happy, until he encounters a beautiful dove with its soothing coo. The Dove says it thought it was happy until it heard the magnificent song of the Nightingale. Crow then learns that Nightingale envies Cockerel who, in turn, envies Swan, who envies Peacock. When Peacock reveals that he is not happy as he is kept in a cage, Crow realizes that happiness is internal and that he was happy all along. This is a charming story with an uplifting moral. Bright illustrations accompany the text. I particularly enjoyed the page where Crow hears Nightingale singing at night, the brightness of Cockerel’s Cock a doodle doo, and, of course, the splendour of Peacock his cage. Highly recommended for children aged 2+ as a fable about happiness, freedom, identity and what is really important in life. It would form the basis of an excellent assembly.
Brenda Marshall