Author(s): Marjorie Newman

Picture books

Mole finds a baby bird that has fallen out of his nest. He waits but nobody comes for it. So he takes it home, makes a nest and feeds it. His Dad talls him that baby birds usually die but Mole says "My bird won't die." The bird grows and begins to flutter its wings. Mole's parents tell him the bird is trying to fly. "No," says Mole and he builds a cage to keep the bird in. The bird is sad but Mole keeps the bird there because he loves it. Grandad comes and takes Mole for a walk up to a high hill where the wild wind tries to lift him and Mole is almost flying. Mole goes home and lets the bird go because he loves it. "Birds are meant to fly," he says, crying. But next day he sees the bird soaring free and he is glad. The gentle illustrations perfectly match the text.