Beautiful, appropriately medieval, both spare and maximalist. Makes me want to read the original next. ( )

So mystical; I was bored. But the illustrations are still good.

Beautiful retelling with beautiful illustrations.

Noted children's book artist and author, Peter Sis, has released his first book for adult audiences with a brilliant adaptation of the epic poem, The Conference of the Birds, by the 12th century Sufi poet, Farid ud-Din Attar. This poem begins with the poet transforming into the hoopoe bird and determined to unite the world of warring birds in an exodus to the mountain of Kaf. The Simorgh, the true king of the birds, lives there and will be able to answer all of the birds' questions. Though at first the birds are excited to find resolve to their problems, as they learn just how arduous a journey this will be, they begin to have their doubts. The hoopoe rallies them throughout the journey though some don't and some won't make it. By the end, only 30 birds remain (which, if you know Persian, you know that "si" and "morgh" means "30 birds"), and they find not a king, but themselves, united by their harrowing journey and the answers within themselves all along.

I first read about this poem a couple years ago when I read Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni. Intrigued, I hunted down a copy of Attar's original text and found the poem's message of self-reliance and resilience overwhelmingly moving. At the same time I thought that this could make a beautiful book if illustrated and condensed to reach a wider audience (since reading an epic poem can be rather daunting to most people). When I found out recently that Peter Sis had taken on this endeavor, I knew that this poem was in good hands. Sis spoke last night at the Schlafly Branch of St. Louis Public Library, presenting both the story and how he connected with it, growing up in the Czech Republic well before the wall came down and then moving to America and honing his craft. He discussed how he found himself in the journey of the poem and how birds have always been a recurring image in his art, symbolizing the ideal of freedom. Thankfully, Penguin appreciated his vision as well, and together they created a stunning tribute. The paper is textured, almost linen-like, lending the book a contemplative feel that reflects its contents. Sis alternates the movement of the birds with moments of contemplation not just with his interpretation of the words, but by contrasting the vibrant colors and stately black-and-white. The poem is already a breathtaking masterpiece by itself; reading it with Sis' touch is an experience. No doubt the care he took into adapting Conference will translate into a resounding personal connection each reader will find within its pages. ( )

This book is aesthetically very pleasing, but I do not have enough context about the original poem to fully appreciate or understand it. ( )