They cannot decide if the king should be the bird with the biggest beak or the one with the most colorful feathers. Finally, after considerable debate, they decide their king will be the bird who can fly the highest. And the winner would seem to be obvious—until a small wren outsmarts them all. From the biggest to the smallest, the fastest to the most abundant, they can all be found here, with a key at the back of the book that identifies the hundreds of species of birds included. said, “This poetic retelling of a traditional tale is a feast for both the eye and the ear. Ward’s brief and lyrical retelling works hand in hand with her glowing artwork to charm readers. The pen-and-ink illustrations colored with watercolors and gouache take full advantage of the spectacle and beauty of the avian world. Each vibrantly colored competitor sets forth from a clean white page and often breaks through the fine-lined borders and margins. An informative appendix lists all of the birds that appear, forming a veritable ‘Guinness Book of Avian Records.’ ” A beautiful read-aloud with more to explore in nature once storytime is done.