Feathers and Fools

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Literary-quality fable is engaging, effective.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this literary-quality story is an engaging, effective fable. The acrylic artwork is bright and dreamlike. Heavy on life lessons, it may be more appealing to parents and teachers than to kids.


What's the story?

At first there is harmony, but when the peacocks and swans begin to fear one another because of their differences, their peaceful pond turns into a battlefield--with tragic results. When all seems lost, hope arises, in this profound, well-crafted, and stunningly illustrated modern-day fable worthy of comparison to Aesop's tales.


Is it any good?

 

FEATHERS AND FOOLS is a timely, powerful fable, but parents should choose their audience wisely because, even though most kids will recognize the story's merit, the subject matter may sadden or disturb some. Author Mem Fox makes a point to name the most aggressive peacock "the first-and-most-foolish" and demonstrates in elegant prose how the follies of human nature -- such as prejudice, gossip, and aggression -- can lead to the despair of having to live in fear and, ultimately, face the ravages of war.

The right-hand pages are richly detailed acrylic illustrations with primitive borders, which stand out against a black background. The left-hand text pages are simply illustrated but complement the images on the right.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about the moral of this story. What lessons does it try to teach? What could the birds have done differently?


This review was written by Mary LeCompte

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.


This review was written by Mary LeCompte
Author:Mem Fox
Illustrator:Nicholas Wilton
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Folklore
Publisher:Harcourt Brace
Publication date:January 1, 2000
Number of pages:30
Paperback price:$6.00
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7

This review was written by Mary LeCompte
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read Feathers and Fools?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it