The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh [Hardcover]

Frederick Lipp (Author), Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A young Cambodian girl saves her money to buy a bird on which to make a wish for her poor family's future.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rendered in watercolor and gouache over pencil, Himler's (Fly Away Home) softly focused portraits of a winning young heroine carry readers through a few of Lipp's (That Cat Is Not for Sale) wordier passages. Though eight-year-old Ary has heard about the rural rice fields where birds fly free, she lives in the Cambodian capital where the "yellow winds grew gray. Gray winds were difficult to breathe." The only birds she knows are "prisoners" in the cage of the bird lady, who sells them to tourists. After the girl uses her savings to purchase a bird, she sets it free since, according to local custom, giving a caged bird its freedom makes wishes come true. But her bird immediately returns to the safety of the cage. On a second attempt, after considering advice from her grandfather, she purchases a sickly bird that "held a secret long forgotten by the other birds." This one soars into the sky and on to freedom. The author includes some heavy-handed imagery ("This is our cage, Ary thought, as she lay her head on the mat"), but his thought-provoking, open-ended conclusion shows the tale in a new light. Himler's appealing art conveys the girl's changeable emotions as well as the heroine's intelligence and optimism as she interacts with the world around her. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Although she has spent all of her life in Phnom Penh, eight-year-old Ary has heard stories about the green countryside where rice grows and where birds fly free. She dreams about escaping from the polluted city where she and her family live in poverty. One morning, she takes the money that she has earned by selling flowers and goes to the marketplace, intending to buy a bird from the bird lady's cage. According to custom, if the bird flies free, her wish will come true. She chooses one, holds it tight while she makes a wish for her family, and then releases it. The girl is bitterly disappointed when it circles overhead and then returns to perch on the woman's finger. Feeling as though she has been tricked, Ary consults her grandfather, who tells her that it is important not to pick just any bird when making wishes. She saves more money and watches the bird lady carefully. One day, she sees the woman putting a new bird in the cage. Ary picks this bird and watches it fly out of sight, knowing that some day her dreams will come true. The outstanding watercolor-and-gouache illustrations capture many different kinds of light, such as the yellow light of the country, the gray light of the streets, and the dark of the family's home. Text and art work well together, providing an excellent window into another culture.-Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823415341
• ISBN-13: 978-0823415342
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,109,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring story for all ages, March 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh (Hardcover)

I bought this story for my girls aged 3 and 6. They were moved by Ari's struggle and I found myself in tears by the joyful ending. I even hear them playing out the roles of Ari and the birdlady.The rich language and quiet beauty of the illustrations makes The Caged Birds a pleasure to read. Then it got even better. If you think Frederick Lipp is a good writer, he's an amazing speaker. He now lives in Portland, Maine and accepted an invitation to come speak to my Artists Books class about writing cultural children's stories. When he read his story the highschool group of 40 were completely silent. Then he engaged them in an amazing reflection on the importance of sharing the stories which move us. His presentation was honest, dynamic and he totally connected with even the most disconnected students in the class. The Cambodian student in my class was especially excited to connect with someone who had written about his homeland and walked the same streets as he did in Phnom Penh.

Get the book for your classroom and then see if you can't get him to come speak. Few kids books carry with them such richness of experience. This one is not to be missed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Green, Yellow, Blue, Strings of Blossoms, March 31, 2001

By 

Chris Beussink (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh (Hardcover)

My husband and I have read this book numerous times to our 7 month old son and for our own pleasure. What a wonderful gift we received. Thank you. Outstanding story about work, wisdom and the future. Very inspirational for all ages. Artwork/illustrations are fabulous. Author and Illustrator harmonize beautifully.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Winged Hope, March 24, 2001

By 

Barbara (Portland, Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh (Hardcover)

This book is for all ages- beautiful words, message and illustrations. The book takes place in Cambodia and opens us to the universal human themes of hope, love and dreams in the midst of despair and treachery. Read it and share it with others and "Fly with wishes on your wings."