Blue Wings

A giraffe, trapped
in a hollow baobab after a flood, comes to an agreement with an
exhausted blue bird. The keeping, or breaking, of her promise drives
each day forward as she struggles with her conscience in the face of
temptation. All the while, the blue bird suffers captivity, until
finally, a gazelle, also in flight across the desert which now surrounds
the baobab, triggers a way out. Each of them must learn that freedom
cannot be achieved by betrayal, or by good intentions or prayer; and
that open-access freedom comes from within.

Blue Wings is a more
gentle tragedy than a comedy, which is refreshing because far too many
things for children intend to amuse rather than engage.

Anna Varney’s illustrations are vibrant and painterly.