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90th out of 104 books
—
65 voters
The Mountain That Loved a Bird
Eric Carle's signature collages illustrate this vibrant original fable. A mountain standing alone in the middle of a desert plain asks a small bird named Joy to stay when she stops to rest. Joy promises that she and her descendants will return each spring, and over time, they transform the mountain into the perfect home.
Library Binding, 28 pages
Published
August 20th 1991
by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
(first published January 1st 1988)
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This book is a beautiful narrative about two things that seem at first to be completely incompatible. It's told in the traditional "folktale" fashion and explains how things came to be the way they are. That being said, it also teaches the need for sacrifice, cooperation and understanding. I would use this when teaching folktales, as I believe they are an integral part of ancient cultures and their understanding of the world around them. It could be compared to other myths and folktales in addit...more
Nov 07, 2008
Rachel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graeme-s-books,
pagan-parenting
While not specifically pagan, I found the book with its profound message and natural landscape to be a perfect addition to my son's spiritual library. On the surface, it is the story of a bird whose yearly visits cheer a lonely, lifeless rock of a mountain and the slow and subtle changes that allow that mountain to become a suitable home and haven for more than just that bird.
Underneath, however, are powerful lessons of love and hope, determination and stamina, friendship and charity.
I think t...more
Underneath, however, are powerful lessons of love and hope, determination and stamina, friendship and charity.
I think t...more
"I am Joy, and I have come to greet you."
Absolutely amazing book. It's a children's book, but as an adult, I find it to be an extremely moving parable about pure love and opening oneself up to feelings. The illustrations by Eric Carle are a joyful enhancement to this already, remarkable book.
This book will make you cry!
Absolutely amazing book. It's a children's book, but as an adult, I find it to be an extremely moving parable about pure love and opening oneself up to feelings. The illustrations by Eric Carle are a joyful enhancement to this already, remarkable book.
This book will make you cry!
This was an interesting twist for me the mountain is being personified and usually when I think of personification it’s with animals. The mountain has feelings of being sad and loving the bird. It wants the bird to stay. The bird then begins to bring seeds to the mountain as it is weeping and trees and plants begin to grow on it. The book ends with the mountain getting its wish that Joy the bird can stay. The mountain which is an inanimate object was built up as the secondary character of the st...more
A symbolically rich tale. I doubt my daughter grasped the meaning of Joy coming to stay, but she seemed to enjoy the story, and it gave me, as an adult, more to munch on than a typical children's book.
What an extraordinary book--for children and adults alike. Love, grief, life, death--this one has it all in its slim volume.
A little long to do as a read aloud but a cute book about a mountain who falls in love with Joy the bird
Quite possibly my favorite children's book of all time. It brings tears to my eyes.
This is a cute and meaningful book, not just for children but adults also.
A story about persistence, relationship and hope.
Beautiful story about a barren, lonely mountain who is visited by a bird once a year. The story explains how, over time, a bare mountain becomes seeded with plant life and then animal life. This story would be a nice intro to a study of Mount St. Helens, which was devoid of life after the 1980 eruption, or the island of Surtsey, which rose as a volcano and then became an island, devoid of life. Both Mt. St. Helens and Surtsey now have life, which arrived just as this story described. Lovely book...more
Ok, It’s a good thing I read this by myself first, and that there were no kids around, because I was teary eyed all the way through it.
The story is very lovely, and it’s interesting for adults as well as for beginning readers. The illustrations by Eric Carle seemed more sophisticated than most in other children’s books; I really liked them a lot.
The story is very lovely, and it’s interesting for adults as well as for beginning readers. The illustrations by Eric Carle seemed more sophisticated than most in other children’s books; I really liked them a lot.
1 like · like · see review
Like the title says, this is a beautiful story about a cold, bare mountain who falls in love with a bird who happens to stop on it while migrating. Since the mountain has no water or vegetation, the bird cannot stay, but promises to return each year. The story is spellbinding to young children.
This is one of the best children's books I've ever read! I love nature and birds, so that is probably one of the reasons I am so enamored with it. I read it to my 7 year old son and it was very sweet how concerned he was for the mountain's happiness. He had a big smile at the end, and so did I.
More than just a simple chilren's book, this is a touching short story of love.
Every time I read it to my children I feel how powerful this story is.
Every time I read it to my children I feel how powerful this story is.
Pictures by Eric Carle. Story of compassion and growth.
Have your Kleenex handy!
May 22, 2013
Ajay Aggarwal
marked it as to-read
Apr 04, 2013
Ryota
added it
Mar 13, 2013
Andreas J.
marked it as to-read
Mar 05, 2013
Irina Grigoryan
marked it as to-read
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Apr 25, 2008 01:22pm