THE PARROT AND THE THIEF

by Richard Kennedy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 24, 1974

Kennedy's first sentence is assurance enough that the storytelling tradition is in good hands: ""Once upon a time in a village by the sea lived a disappointed man who took to stealing things."" No further explanation is needed; we're already caught up in the tale, which goes on to relate how the thief's parrot, stolen from his rightful owner, tells on him each time he makes a haul, and how the thief then tricks the parrot into talking seeming nonsense so that no one will believe what it says. The parrot, of course, eventually turns the trick round and ends up joyfully back at sea while the thief peers out at us from behind bars. An old story, but this time the satisfaction of justice accomplished is extended by the pleasure of fluent prose and by Sewall's expert, slyly expressive, fine-line drawings of the crafty rogue and his remarkably mobile bird.

Pub Date: Oct. 24, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Atlantic/Little Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1974

Categories: CHILDREN'S