The Speckled Feather

by Johanna Ries

Overview

Feather ruffling fun!

"What is truly special here is the beauty of the soft artwork, which has the feel of watercolor.... Close-ups make the squabbling feel immediate....A visual delight." - Kirkus Reviews

In the wide savanna there are three birds named Ade, Emem, and Nuru, that live on the back of an elephant. They are best friends. But one day the wind blows a bright speckled feather into their midst, and in no time their peacefulness is over.

A thought-provoking story about friendship by debut author-illustrator Johanna Ries.

Selected by the Society of Illustrators Original Art competition 2021.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735844476
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Johanna Ries was born in Marl, Germany. While she was still a child, she discovered the joys of painting and writing stories. In 2015, she began her studies in illustration at the Münster School of Design, specializing in illustrating both fiction and nonfiction

Editorial Reviews

This theme of bickering companions who discover the value and need of friendship is common in fables, but it is given a fresh and inventive spin here, with plenty of lively dialogue perfect for classroom readers’ theater performances and gorgeous amber-hued illustrations that play beautifully with perspective and exude the heat and feel of an African savanna.

The Horn Book

2021-03-17
Three birds living on the back of an elephant find their lives disrupted when they come across a speckled feather.

Beginning her story with “Once upon a time,” Ries introduces three birds named Ade, Emem, and Nuru that live on the back of an elephant on the African savanna. Theirs is a tranquil, symbiotic relationship. Sitting high up, the birds are safe from predators, and in return they feed off the insects on the elephant’s skin. One day, a gust of wind blows in a bright, speckled feather that ends their peaceful existence. The birds squabble, as each one wants the feather for itself. Upset, the elephant demands the bickering end before they are allowed back on his back. Only when their lives are in danger do they finally understand their friendship is more valuable than the feather. This is an old story that has been told many times before. The setting may change, the characters may change, the intruding object may change, but the underlying story arc remains the same. What is truly special here is the beauty of the soft artwork, which has the feel of watercolor. In this translation from German (Die Fleckenfeder), debut author/illustrator Ries plays with color and perspective to great effect. Yellows and flecks of gold evoke the heat of the savanna. Close-ups make the squabbling feel immediate. And two double-page spreads in which a wild dog attacks the birds are outright gripping.

A visual delight. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews