Out of Afghanistan comes this simple Sufi folk story collected by the late, noted Afghan author. In this gloriously illustrated tale, an old woman grooms an eagle to represent what she thinks is a pigeon—the only type of bird with which she is familiar. Its beak is bent, not straight like it should be, his claws are too long and its feathers are ruffled. The old woman straightens the eagle’s beak, clips his claws, combs his feathers smooth, and then releases him back outside. When the eagle meets another, the second eagle helps brush up the first eagle’s feathers and bends the eagle’s beak to its rounded form. His claws will grow in time. Meanwhile, the two of them will stay away from silly people who think pigeons are eagles and eagles pigeons. Delmar’s paintings are beautiful and realistic. The side panels with detailed borders reflect elements of the tale and foreshadow events or reflect the elegant setting. Given that there is so little available for children from this region, the classic story, packaged in an elegant design, will be a good addition to every collection. (Picture book/folktale. 5-8)
