The birds needed to elect a king. The birds flocked to the Meeting Tree. Blackbirds made a quick decree: Black feathers will be compulsory For the bird that king will be. Blackbirds' intent was not hard to see, To make one of them the nominee. In a mix of photography and verse, Smith tells a story of pride, ego, diversity, and acceptance. It is about the importance of choosing leaders based on their character, not the color of their feathers. The book is written in playful rhymes and double meanings, with just the right measure of fun facts about birds. A book that will charm readers of all ages who enjoy fables, light verse, humor, photography, and birds. Thomas Smith is a prolific poet. He has published free verse poems, limericks, and haiku in a number of literary journals, the latter including journals of the Haiku Society of America, British Haiku Society, and Haiku Canada.