As a Mom of two young children, I am constantly on the lookout for good, creative, wholesome children's books to read with my kids. We do a lot of reading, especially during the winter months. I set aside a certain amount of time each day for reading together since my kids were babies and so this has become part of the routine in our home. At this point, my little daughter (5 years old) is really enjoying chapter books, whereas my 3-year-old son pines for books with more pictures :-). So, I try to create a "happy" balance. I have to say that I think sometimes I am enjoying the books as much as the kids; Mr. Popper's Penguins and The Little House on the Prairie series have been delighting me these long winter days :-).
And this book (How to Heal a Broken Wing, pictured above) is such a good one, one that we have really enjoyed reading, over and over. I originally found it in the library and then purchased it on Amazon because I really enjoyed the story-line and the sensitivity portrayed towards the least of these of Christ's creation--pigeons.
Ok; I admit--I have a soft spot for pigeons. . . My Dad used to raise homing pigeons when my sisters and I were little, and they really are sweet, smart, devoted creatures--the little squabs are delightful! :-) Many people think of them as "dirty" or "diseased" but when they are cared for properly and loved as they should be, they make wonderful pets. The farmers around here like to shoot them, but I enjoy offering them shelter in my barn! :-)
When we were little, my Mom took me and my sisters on a city bus ride from our small town into the "large" ;-) (to me ;-)) city of Providence, RI. We walked around the city and fed the pigeons from a park bench--she wanted us to have that experience of riding the bus into the city and it is such a vivid memory from my childhood, especially feeding those dear, sweet birds scavenging for survival. So this book, How to Heal a Broken Wing really holds a place in my heart.
I enjoyed the illustrations which are vivid and bright and somewhat unusual (almost a comic-book style, but large enough for little eyes to see and focus on). I loved the simple, sensitive story-line about a little boy who rescues a hurt pigeon on a city street, rehabilitates it, and then releases it. Everyone else walks by the hurt pigeon, ignoring it or not noticing it, and it somewhat reminded me of the story of the Good Samaritan; I really liked that connection.
This is a wonderful book to read with little children. It s simple, sweet, and heartwarming and teaches little ones sensitivity towards God's creation. There's so much hardness in the world; this book was refreshing in the way that it depicted animals and encouraged the nurture and care of a small creature who was hurt.
If you are able to purchase it or take it out of your local library, I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do! :-)
This is the second post this morning recommending a wonderful children's book. I am so glad there are sweet books for our children!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a beautiful children's book. I am always on the lookout for books to donate to my daughter's class (she's the teacher). Thanks for sharing about this one.
ReplyDeleteI bet my son would enjoy this one. Thanks for sharing.
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