About The Book
Lavishly illustrated by award-winning illustrator, Demi, this magical and inspiring story of the adventures of a flock of wayfaring birds in search of their king will delight children with its tales of overcoming fear, physical hardship, and inner limitations. Based on an 800 year old classical parable, and retold by the mother of three, Alexis York Lumbard, it will provide parents with a unique opportunity to teach moral and spiritual development to their children.
The famous children’s book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola wrote to author Alexis York Lumbard about this book, on which she had collaborated with the illustrator Demi, saying, “Congratulations on a lovely book. You [both] have made a wonderful contribution to the world of children’s literature…” Many others are finding the same thing: this magical adventure of some very imperfect birds is a special experience for readers of any age.
In simple poetry and striking illustrations, the story follows the duck, the parrot, the owl, the finch, and others, as they fly behind the wise hoopoe bird, constantly learning to confront their fears and inner weaknesses in order to reach the distant mountain where they will find their new King. Children and adults alike will relate to this inspiring tale about overcoming one’s faults and practicing such virtues as humility, patience, detachment from worldly goods, and courage.
A Video Trailer for the Book
Watch the video below to get a visual summary of the pages in The Conference of the Birds. Viewers will quickly see how beautiful the illustrations are and how the book is laid out. The entire video is only about a minute long.
View Sample Pages
Click on one of the pdf icons below to see sample pages in pdf format in a new tab
Activities
Children will enjoy a coloring page of Hoopoe, the central character in the book. There is a picture of the Hoopoe on the cover, too, for ideas on how to color it in. Click here for this 120KB file in jpg format in a new file or window, which can be printed out for children to work on.
show more
