This indian folk tale tells the story of a blackbird who’s wife is captured by the King who rules the land. In effort to rescue his wife he arms himself with a thorn and shield, makes a nutshell helmet and a drum. On his journey his drum draws the attention of those around him and the blackbird finds friends that also have bitterness towards the King. The battle is not one of blood and torture, but of intelligence and the cunning ability of creative thinking. Joined with the forces of nature and creatures from the land the blackbird retrieves his wife. This tale demonstrates the bond between the birds through marriage and the strength of this partnership. Double page illustrations add to the fanciful nature of the story as thy interact with the tale and show the events as they unravel.
This book can be useful to librarians as an introduction to folk tales from India. the images included can serve as a visual reading of the story and can be of use during story time or assisting children learning to read. The inclusion of the polluted river can also serve useful in teaching about recycling, consequences of littering and the importance of taking care of the community. ( )