Product Description

Squire Case is furious. Year after year, the birds of Killingworth feast happily on his crops, while he loses money. Resolved to rid the community of these "thieves," the squire calls a town meeting and proclaims that all adult birds should be killed and their young left to die of starvation. The farmers and townsfolk agree wholeheartedly.

Only the squire's daughter, Almira, and the schoolmaster, Noah, realize that the birds play an important part in nature's plan. But can they rescue the birds before it's too late?

Based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Birds of Killingworth is a hopeful, high-spirited tale reminding us that the compassion of just a few can help ensure the prosperity of all living creatures.

Pictures by Kimberly Bulcken Root

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1382759 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-24
• Released on: 2002-05-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem of the same name, San Souci's (The Talking Eggs) fable takes place in the colonial past but deals with a contemporary concern the consequences of environmental destruction. The inhabitants of a Connecticut village plan to wipe out the birds that steal their crops. Almira, the daughter of crabby Squire Case who leads the crusade, publicly opposes the cruel scheme. Noah Arden, the young schoolmaster, has a more penetrating concern: "Surely the birds have some part in heaven's plan. Who are we to challenge the balance of creation?" Almira's father and the rest of the villagers override him. But after their natural predators are eliminated, insect pests proliferate, and the crops are laid to waste. Almira and Noah save the town by reintroducing nestlings that they and the schoolchildren have secretly fed. Root (When the Whippoorwill Calls) devotes care to every element of her watercolors figures in the background and borders are as detailed as those in the foreground and her record of the tools and clothes of the colonies will intrigue readers. Scenes of the insect plague are particularly striking; a goodwife in cap and apron beats the insects off her worm-eaten cabbages with a wooden hayfork; horses writhe on the ground to rid themselves of swarming flies. The return of the birds seems especially welcome after the scourge, and so does Squire Case's heartfelt apology. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-San Souci has crafted an ecological fable from Longfellow's 1863 poem of the same name. Both the original (apparently inspired by real events) and this prose version are set in the colonial Connecticut town of Killingworth, where hunters are paid to destroy birds that are damaging crops. The resulting slaughter, naturally, brings disaster; insects, unchecked by their former predators, wreak mass devastation. The reteller has amplified and personified key figures and their roles, making the tale comprehensible to young readers and listeners. Squire Case and his daughter move to center stage, with Almira speaking out to defend the birds, much to her father's displeasure. She becomes the instrument of the town's salvation when she decides to rescue the baby birds left to starve in their nests and, with the help of the schoolmaster and the children, turns the schoolhouse into a nursery. When her father realizes the error he has made, Almira and the youngsters joyfully open the cages and restore the balance of nature. This change from Longfellow's deus ex machina ending increases the tale's logic as well as its appeal. The slightly quaint language of the retelling retains the flavor of the poem, while making its message much more accessible. Children will be drawn to the animal-rescue element, as well as to the watercolor-and-pencil illustrations. Frequently full-page and bordered by wild creatures, they are full of watery color and period detail, enriching the natural setting and tempering the cautionary tale with humor and humanity.
Nancy Palmer, The Little School, Bellevue, WA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 5-8. An ecologically minded story, based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Squire Case is the richest farmer in the colony of Connecticut. His daughter Almira hears the sweet sound of birdsong, but Squire Case sees only a ravening horde of birds that eat fruit and grain, taking money from him and his neighbors. Despite objections from Almira and the local schoolmaster, the town decides to destroy all the adult birds and leave the hatchlings to die. Almira, the schoolmaster, and the children rescue and feed the baby birds through a summer filled with insect pests--grueling for everyone--as there are no adult birds to keep down the bug population. Squire Case now sees the error of his ways, and admits the birds' necessity. Soon there are grown birds, the town rejoices, and Almira and the schoolmaster marry. The text is message heavy, but the environmental lesson is an interesting one and clearly drawn. The watercolors, rich in period detail, are lovely, especially those pictures bordered with birds. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Those are some Magical Birds
The Birds of Killingworth is a narrative story based on the poem of the same name by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This story set in the 18th century, tells the story of a young woman, Almira Case, and her quest to save birds from extinction. Almira's father, Squire Case, decides that he is fed up with birds because they eat the town's crops. The Squire hatches a plan to get rid of the birds. Hunters will be paid for every bird that they kill. Almira is shocked by this plan so in secret she and the schoolmaster (whom she eventually marries) with the assistance of school children hide birds in the schoolhouse. Birds in the area become extinct. When insect overrun the town, Almira and the School Master save the day by restoring the birds they hid to the sky. The highlight of the book was the illustrations, which were beautifully drawn by Kimberly Bulcken Root. Root uses natural colors in her illustrations. The illustrations enhance the story and highlight the theme of nature by using mostly blues, browns, and greens. The story is a good adaptation of the poem by Longfellow. Longfellow's poem was based on actual events that happened in a town in the Connecticut colony. The narration was well done and used terms that were used at the time, but wrote the story in Modern English in order to allow it to be easily read. There is a stark contrast between good and evil. Unfortunately the message of the tale is somewhat alarming. San Souci's message (and Longfellow's as well for that matter) is that nature must be put before humanity. Almira's father is vilified throughout the tale and considered to be some out of touch fool who is unable to see any kind of beauty until his life is in peril. Farmers, field hands, millers, merchants, bakers, barrel makers, and goodwives are also inherently evil because they want to protect their livelihood and their families. There is no question that blue birds and robins probably did no damage to the fields, but there is no reason why crows could not be killed. The entire justification given by Almira for the birds to remain alive was that they sounded pretty. Anyone who would listen to that justification more than likely would not have listened. People have to eat after all. San Souci (and Longfellow) also refused to address the possibility that the infestation of insects and the desecration of fields could have been caused by other reasons. Plagues and dustbowls may have been the cause, but this option is not even considered. There was intense judgment made against business people and those that only want to feed their families. San Souci's use of a flighty determined heroine was an ill-made choice. It would have made more sense if the heroine did not want the birds to be killed because it was wrong, but the justification was that they "sound pretty". In terms of an adaptation for today, the book is well done. In terms of the message, the reader is ill served.