The Old Woman and the Eagle
Kindergarten-Grade 2-This Sufi tale tries to send a positive message about not allowing others to decide who or what you are. Upon encountering an eagle for the first time, an old woman decides that the bird is a funny-looking pigeon. She swoops him up, carries him inside, and tries to make him look more like the birds she knows. She trims his claws, straightens his beak, and finally brushes down the feathers on his head. The sad eagle flies away to a nearby tree where he meets another eagle that helps him restore his original appearance. The colorful paintings include a number of Middle Eastern motifs and place the story firmly in that part of the world. Unfortunately, the advice of the second eagle-to stay away from people who think that pigeons are eagles because these silly people tend to do foolish things-comes off as xenophobic. In today's troubling times, this message might encourage children to be intolerant of different people as opposed to trying to learn more about them and hopefully foster understanding and respect. There are no source notes that might help adults explain why this message may be valuable. There is a dearth of stories from this part of the world and, for this reason, libraries may find this book acceptable.Tali Balas, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York CityCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.