Sparrow flies to the high perch
so she can see far and wide.
She needs something else.
She doesn't know what it is,
but she knows that it is something special."
Sparrow lives in a dusty crack in a stone wall where every morning at dawn she hears singing and bells ringing. Today, something tells her that change is coming and she must prepare for it. Not knowing what is about to happen, while knowing that she needs something, she flies out to familiar territory. She flies past the bakery and the food stand where she finds the sustenance she needs. With food in her belly, she lands on a high perch where she can see the city below her.
She still needs something special; she does not yet know just what it is. She notices many things but none of them strike a chord with her. Only when she returns to her crack in the wall does she notice 'something small and fluttery, and bright'. Suddenly, she knows exactly what is needed. She takes those tiny things and places them tightly into her nest, softening it for the chaange. When the nest is ready, so is Sparrow. Just in time, she lays her first egg. Now, she can rest, relax and protect. Though she knows little about it, she does know it offers what she so badly needs ... hope.
Don't we all?
In an author's note Ms. Tebo explains the storied history of the Western Wall and its meaning for many. Visitors from all parts of the world leave wishes and prayers in its cracks. The prayers left there are written in hopes for a better world for all. In Latin spero means "I hope". In a further note, she adds a family story of a visit to Jerusalem and what the family found there.
E. B. Lewis's familiar watercolor artwork is fabulous and brings the city to life for young readers.
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