The Rich Man and the Parrot

This is a sprightly, elegant retelling of a story by Rumi, the 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic. The pet parrot of a wealthy merchant lives a cushy life, surrounded by a garden of "tall sycamore trees, sweet-smelling jasmine bushes, and rippling fountains of cool blue water." But what the bird really desires most is freedom—and when the merchant announces a trip to the parrot's homeland of India, a clever plan is hatched. Nadimi moves the story along at a brisk clip, using just enough heightened language to evoke an exotic time and place. Cook works in flowing lines and jewel-like colors, creating playful, luscious pictures that seem to borrow inspiration in equal parts from the decorative arts of the Near East and the fanciful habitats of Henri Rousseau. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)