A little girl living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, wishes she could do something to help her poor family. With the money she earned selling flowers, she heads to the bird lady at the market to buy a bird and set it free. If the bird flew away, her wish would come true, but if it came back, her wish would not come true. The first bird she picked returned to the bird lady, and the girl was angry. She continued saving more money, and with encouragement from her grandfather, she bought another bird using her knowledge of which bird was blessed. This bird flew far away toward the rice fields, making all of the girl's wishes come true. ( )

Ary lives with her family in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The live in poverty, but Ary spends the only money she has on a bird that will grant her wishes with flight. Unfortunately, the first bird she buys returns to the cage it was sold from. Ary, upset and defeated, goes home and weeps over her misfortune. The next day, she talks with her grandfather and has newly found hope for her wish making. She makes her way back to the merchant lady selling the colorful birds and selects one with the advice of her grandfather ringing in her ears. When the bird she chooses takes flight and doesn't return to its caged prison, Ary wishes for food, clothes, work for her loved ones, and knowledge for herself. Hope is restored in the little girl, although she doesn't know how her wishes will be granted. ( )

This was another book that I read only because Ronald Himler was the illustrator, but I really enjoyed its text as well. The whole concept of self-selected freedom might be a bit too high-minded for some primary readers, but an intermediate grade audience would probably comprehend it and a junior high audience could probably hold some interesting discourse on the subject. I liked the book. It was thought-provoking. ( )

A little girl growing up in Cambodia has never smelled the clean air outside the polluted city. She buys a caged bird and releases it making a wish, a tradition in Cambodia. Ary is from a poor family. She dreams of leaving the crowded and polluted city. She releases the cage bird with the hope that one day her family too will escape the harsh reality of poverty in Cambodia.

Genre Critique: This is a realistic fiction book. The story is about a Cambodian family affected by poverty. This is a good example of realistic fiction because the characters and setting are believable. The illustrations are beautiful and help paint a picture of life in Cambodia.

Media: Ink and blot, watercolor ( )

Ary is a young poor girl in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, who wants to buy and release a bird with good wishes for her family. She saves up 300 riels and buys a bird -- but the bird doesn't fly for long before returning to the old woman selling the caged birds, who puts it back in a cage. Ary is troubled that her wishes will never come true. Then an old grandfather tells her the trick is to find the blessed bird -- one that will keep flying and free. He also reminds her that name itself means "knowledge". So Ary watches the birds carefully, noting their personalities, looking for a blessed one. Finally one day she notices a special bird, too afraid to eat or drink. The old woman doesn't want to sell the bird, but Ary persists and hands over 400 riels. She then whispers all her wishes for her family -- chicken curry, new clothes, work for her brother, freedom from police harrassment, ointment for grandfather's sores, and -- finally -- for herself, "more knowledge". The bird does fly off, totally free.