"This inquisitive, ornithological ode celebrates a love of birds-- no matter what we call them and why. A bird cannot be defined simply by the name we call it-- robin, hawk, peacock, swan. Nor can a bird be reduced to the exact blue of its neck, the tint of its red breast, or how it builds a nest. Celebrating all the ways we identify and enjoy winged creatures, this book suggests that only the birds themselves are able to give the truest expression...

"Long ago, when the birds had no songs, only man could sing. When the Great Spirit walked on the Earth, he noticed a great silence. He realized the birds had no songs. He devised a great game and told the birds who ever could fly the highest, would receive a very beautiful song. But not all the birds were honest. In his desire to win the game, the small hermit thrush jumped on the back of the great eagle. The eagle flew higher than any of the birds,...