The Mountain that loved a Bird
by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Stephen Aitken
“The Mountain That Loved A Bird” by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Stephen Aitken. Published by Tulika. This beautiful and poignant story of hope, love, longing, trust, perseverance, conviction, friendship, kindness, care and joy is a delight for everyone.
There was once a mountain made of bare stone. It stood alone in the middle of a desert. It had never seen or felt a living being. No plant or tree grew on its hard slopes. Nor could any kind of animal, bird or insect could live on it. All that the mountain had seen was the sky, clouds, sun, moon and the stars on clear nights. It had only felt the touch of rain and snow.
One day a small bird appeared. She flew in a circle above the mountain and then landed on a ledge to take some rest and preen her feathers. The mountain was amazed for it had never seen such a thing come from the sky before. The mountain enquired who she was and what was her name. The bird explained that her name was Joy and she had come from a distant land. Every spring she flew long distances looking for an ideal place to make a nest and raise her children. The mountain asked her if she could just stay there instead of going. Joy explained that living beings like her needed food and water to survive which weren’t available on the mountain l. So she couldn’t stay. The mountain requested her to at least come back again if she couldn’t stay.
Moved by the mountain’s request, Joy promised that she would visit it during every spring of her life. As birds didn’t have a long life, this wouldn’t be for many years. Then she would name one of her daughters as Joy and tell her to how to find the mountain to greet and sing above it. This tradition would continue forever.
What happens next? Does Joy keep her promise? Does the mountain long for her visits? How does it feel when it is time for the bird to leave? Does the mountain continue to remain as it is? Can the bird never stay on the mountain? The story unfolds beautifully. The illustrations are gorgeous and reflect the colours of the Himalayan skies over India. The illustrator Stephen Aitken is a biologist as well as writer from Canada and based out of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh.
The book was originally published in 1985 and illustrated by Eric Carle. The story has been shared in readings, performances and puppetry all across the world. It goes beyond the boundaries of language and culture. It has been published in many languages using the original illustrations. The Tulika edition is a must read for all children above 6 years of age. Me and my son loved reading it. One of my son’s friends after a reading of this story, became quite emotional and cried tears of happiness at the end of the reading. Tells you how much of an influence this story can be on kids.
This is possibly one of my all time favourites irrespective of genre and level of reading. It is an absolute MUST READ for anyone who loves books. Thanks a ton Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this absolute keepsake book!
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.