St. Francis and the Proud Crow

Jealous of Canary, who lives in a cage in the palace, Crow asks Saint Francis to give him a house, too. Without a word, Saint Francis brings Crow a cage and lets him hop in. At first Crow is very pleasedhe is brought food and water and every morning the cage is moved to a new spot in the woods. One day he tries to fly, but his wings and feathers get tangled in the wire bars. All the other birds laugh at him and fly away, except for the little sparrow. She flies to Saint Francis, explains Crow's predicament and offers to stay in the cage herself. Watts's quiet retelling brings a simplicity and assuredness to this timeless story; working in pastels and watercolors, she bestows on each frame of the tale qualities of gentleness and humor. Ages 4-7. (September)