- amusing, lighthearted tale of a swan who couldn’t make a sound
- educational without feeling like it
- language: x1 darned, x2 stupid
- convo: romance*, naturalism**, pipe smoking mentioned
Type: chapter book
Ages: 5-8
Author: E.B. White
Illustrator: Fred Marcellino
*The romance was between birds, but there was quite a lot of it. All was appropriate and normal behavior, but just a note.
**This being a secular book, you can expect to see “Nature” used instead of “God” a couple of times. Relatedly, someone says once, “…for the voice God failed to give you.” (PSA: God never fails at anything.)
The above are simply notes I think parents might want to know. The story, as a whole, was pretty clean and entertained my children the first time I read it aloud to them. They have both since re-read it, probably multiple times! It honestly bored me quite a bit, but I didn’t mind reading it to them once. 🙂 Most of my friends who’ve read it say they loved it, so my opinion is definitely in the minority!
It would especially be a good book for nature or bird lovers. Little factual tidbits are sprinkled here and there. And, since it’s been over 50 years since first published, there is likely some new vocabulary for your kids to absorb!
Have you read this one?