The Crow and the Peacock

The Crow and the Peacock by Jo Fernihough is a gentle introduction to Aesop's Fable about the crow and the peacock, although both stories encourage children to be happy with who they are; the stories can be used alongside one another to compare the endings.

In this story, Crow is very happy with his life until he sees a dove with beautiful white feathers and he's sure that Dove must be the happiest bird in the world. Dove, we learn, was happy - until it heard Nightingale sing, and thought Nightingale must be the happiest bird - only Nightingale, we discover, thinks Cockerel must be the happiest bird because its song can be heard across the land...and so the story develops, until we meet Peacock, who Crow is sure must be the happiest bird of all, except that Peacock is caged so that people can admire its magnificent feathers.  Crow comes to realise that each of the birds has something special and that being a crow, and free, can be a very happy life indeed - and Crow is careful to make sure that Peacock's story ends happily, too.

The Crow and the Peacock story provides a useful reminder that everyone is different and that we should all be happy with who we are. I would use it alongside Naomi Howarth's magnificent The Crow's Tale to reinforce this message, and also to explore attributes of courage and kindness.

The Crow and the Peacock is also useful if you want to introduce children to lots of different birds, especially as the gorgeous images are so bright and full of contrast, and to encourage them to find out more about other kinds of birds.

Picture book / Ages 4+ / Reviewed by Ellen Green

Suggested Reading Age 3+