On a secluded island, in a faraway sea, the animals live in peace and prosperity. But one day, the winds of fate bring humans to their shore. Down come trees and up go houses, farms, and a bustling market. The humans capture the animals and put them to work. A great sadness falls upon the land, and only a young boy named Adam can hear the animals’ cries. Compelled to act, Adam escapes into the jungle and joins with the remaining free animals, attempting to summon the Spirit King Bersaf. Will the king bring the humans to trial for their harmful actions? Will justice be had? Will balance return to land, sea, and sky? This multicultural environmental tale is inspired by a 1,000 year old animal fable from 10th century Muslim Iraq, which was originally translated by a Jewish rabbi at the command of a Christian king in the 14th century. Gr 1–3—This Iraqi-Hebraic folktale picture book tells the story of a group of animals who fall victim to greedy humans. The creatures of the Emerald Isle live together peacefully until humankind arrives, cutting down trees and killing and enslaving the beasts. One honorable youth teams up with the animals, successfully petitioning wise King Bersaf to help the humans see the errors of their ways. The strong text effectively describes the devastation and horror that people wreak upon the island. However, Demi's illustrations, with their soft, dainty pastel-colored backgrounds, don't match the tone of the writing. Where the text calls for denuded landscape, the art portrays hardworking people shaping logs and building homes, and the animals look just as healthy and plump as before the advent of man. Demi acknowledges the violence of this tale in a couple of scenes, such as a spread depicting a marketplace, where bloody cuts of meat are up for sale. Overall, though, the artist errs on the side of keeping the story suitable for a young audience. VERDICT Unless kids are encouraged to pick this one up, this book will be a shelf sitter.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Lumbard & Demi, who previously collaborated on The Conference of the Birds , team up again to retell a 10th-century Iraqi fable. In this rendering, animals live peacefully together in an island community. The arrival of humans aboard an ark changes everything. Humans assault the Earth and enslave the animals until a boy named Adam calls for help from the Spirit King, Bersaf. Bersaf teaches humans to become compassionate by bearing the pain the animals feel. In the end, harmony is restored and healing begins. Demi shines in her richly detailed portrayal of animals." ~Publishers Weekly "A pointed fable" ~Kirkus Alexis York Lumbard is the author of the award-winning titles The Conference of the Birds (illustrated by Demi), Angels (illustrated by Flavia), and more recently Everyone Prays (illustrated by Alireza Sadeghian) and Pine and the Winter Sparrow (illustrated by Beatriz Vidal). A busy mother of three, she was motivated to write by her children. With a B.A. in Religious Studies from George Washington University, it is her sincere hope to bring the wisdom and beauty of the world’s cultures and religions to the eager minds of young children. Alexis lives with her husband and three daughters in Natick, MA. Demi is the award-winning author of over 130 bestselling children’s books. Her titles have sold over half a million copies. The Empty Pot was selected by former First Lady Barbara Bush as one of the books to be read on the ABC Radio Network Program Mrs. Bush’s Story Time, sponsored by the Children’s Literacy Initiative. Demi’s book Gandhi was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award. In addition, she represented the United States at the First International Children’s Book Conference in Beijing, China. She lives with her husband in Yarrow Point, WA.