We're sorry. An error has occurred
Please cancel or retry.
The King of the Birds
Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
Couldn't load pickup availability
-
01 September 2016

A young girl brings home a peacock, but he refuses to show off his colorful tail! Inspired by the life of Flannery O'Connor.
In this picture book, inspired by the life of Flannery O’Connor, a young fan of fowl brings home a peacock to be the king of her collection, but he refuses to show off his colorful tail. The girl goes to great lengths to encourage the peacock to display his plumage — she throws him a party, lets him play in the fig tree, feeds him flowers and stages a parade — all to no avail.
Then she finally stumbles on the perfect solution. When she introduces the queen of the birds — a peahen — to her collection, the peacock immediately displays his glorious shimmering tail.
This delightful story, full of humor and heart, celebrates the legacy of a great American writer.
Includes an author’s note about Flannery O’Connor.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
“Readers with a taste for the quirky will flock to this tale … the unexpected antics of birds and child sustain interest whether O'Connor's name is familiar to readers or not.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Delightful illustrations lend humor and charm to an already wonderful story.” — Midwest Book Review
“The story and art are lighthearted and whimsical…” — The Horn Book
“Nelson’s distinctive mixed-media art, fusing illustration with archival photographs, is the perfect visual counterpart to this imaginative interpretation of the facts of O’Connor’s life.” — Brain Pickings