The Feather

by Margaret Wild
illustration by Freya Blackwood

Wild’s tale tells of a giant feather two children find. When they bring it to town its uniqueness is considered precious and therefore worth being held. In captivity it loses its vibrance. The children rescue the withering feather and their care restores its luminescence. This allegorical story is left ambiguous but Blackwood’s tender illustrations that depict both the somber grays of the village and warmth of the revived feather help to make it a tale of hope.