The Little Wing Giver - Hardcover

Taravant, Jacques

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805064125 ISBN 13: 9780805064124

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2001

Synopsis

How the first angel came to be.

There was a time when neither birds nor butterflies nor insects had wings. Then one day, out of nowhere, a little boy appeared. He carried a basketful of wings and traveled far and wide, calling out,

"Come get your wings.
Beautiful wings!
Come get your wings
And fly, fly, fly!"

Soon the sky was filled with sound and color! But the resentful wind hurled the Little Wing Giver's basket into the ocean. Saddened and exhausted, the Little Wing Giver lay down for the night to rest. Birds gathered round him and tried everything they could to rouse him. It was only by chance that a curious magpie found a forgotten pair of wings in the Little Wing Giver's pocket and attached them to his shoulders. With a flap of his new wings, he flew up into the sky. "And it was on seeing the Little Wing Giver flying toward Him through a sunlit cloud that gave God the idea of creating angels.

This magical tale, captured in whimsical full-color illustrations, is sure to enchant readers young and old alike.

About this title

Review:

Gossamer wings, fluffy white wings, scissor-pointed wings, wooden wings... once, long, long ago, before birds and butterflies and bugs and windmills had wings, a little boy appeared with a bottomless bag of wings to distribute. No one knew where he came from, but everyone loved him... except, maybe, the jealous wind. Caldecott Honor artist Peter Sís (Tibet: Through the Red Box, Starry Messenger, Madlenka, etc.) illustrates this whimsical little story by Jacques Taravant, a former French diplomat, of how angels came to be. A touch of sadness permeates the tale, setting it apart from many American stories. The boy, though devoted to his mission, grows tired and discouraged after a while, and is only "uplifted" by the love and gratitude of thousands of newly winged creatures. This book can be a gentle touching-off point for parents and kids to discuss spirituality, selflessness, and even death. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Jacques Taravant, a French diplomat, originally wrote The Little Wing Giver for his son Jean-Marien on his sixth birthday. The story went unpublished for many years until another son, Bruno transcribed it and Le Monde, a prominent French newspaper, printed it. Jacques Taravant died in 1991.

Peter Sis is a world-renowned author and illustrator. His books Tibet Through The Red Box and Starry Messenger: Gallileo Galilei received the Caldecott Honor award. Mr. Sis, born in Czechoslovakia, now divides his time between Paris and New York City with his wife and their two children

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0805064125
• ISBN 13: 9780805064124
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Sís Peter