Days Of The Blackbird

　　In this elegant tale, Tomie dePaola imagines how the Days of the Blackbird innorthern Italy came to be. Gemma and her father, the Duke of Gennaro, live in a house with a courtyard that fills with birds of all colors through the spring and summer. When the Duke falls ill at the end of summer, Gemma begs the birds to stay to raise his spirits with their song. However, as snow and fierce winds begin to swirl down on the village, the birds must fly south to stay warm, and eventually only one loyal bird remains.

　　Author Bio: Tomie dePaola (www.tomie.com) lives in New London, New Hampshire.