Wild Journey
Starlings swoop and swirl their way through the stories of five children living in five different countries, linking their experiences as they experience their own journeys, as exciting and demanding as those of the birds soaring above.
With its beautifully composed, warm orange cover, ‘Wild Journey’ is a book which will tempt readers to pick it up at first glance. A murmuration of starlings encircle five little scenes, each giving a hint as to the content of one of the five stories inside, sure to pique curiosity. More clues are given on the back of the book as well as the names of the five locations and five children the stories are about.
Each child is on their own journey. Jamal is visiting relations in Egypt, Ella is on holiday with her family in Morocco, Aaron is in Spain where his father is working, Isabelle has gone on holiday to her Grand-pere’s house and Yusef has travelled from Syria to find a new home. These physical journeys are linked by the starlings’ migration, showing the wonder, power and resilience of these feathered miracles as they make their dangerous and demanding journey. But each of the children also makes a personal ‘journey’ as they learn more about themselves, their families and the world around them.
Perfect for sharing with a class, each, any or all of the stories would work well for a story time, offering plenty to discuss and reflect upon. Obviously, adults need to be aware of both the content and their audience, responding with sensitivity to any questions or comments. In the first story, for example, Jamal struggles with parting with the wounded starling which he has rescued both due to his loneliness and a desire to make his ill grandfather laugh and be happy, leading his grandfather to tell him, ‘Sometimes you have to let those you love go’.
The final story about Yusef seeking happiness and safely in his new home brings this heart-warming collection to a perfect conclusion. A real joy!
Wild Journey: A Flight of Stories across Deserts and Forests, Cities and Seas
A M Dassu, illustrated by Joe Lillington
Zephyr ISBN: 978-1035911899