Customer Reviews

What the Parrot Told Alice

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I'm not a kid. But this book about endangered birds, and the practices by humans that are behind it, is an engaging and interesting read for parents also. Buy it, and read it with your kids.

What the Parrot Told Alice can be read by young children (age 8-10) as an early-reader chapter book and by older children (through middle school) as an environmental learning tool. The story is well-written with excellent characters that all children love. And it combines good reading with scientific learning - just perfect for elementary and middle school children...The Science Spiders(TM) Newsletter.

This is such a wonderful book for adults as well as children. It is a creative and entertaining story that just happens to teach you so much about our world and fellow creatures. It allows you to 'feel' and understand the consequences of what we are doing to our world and the creatures in it. It explains habitat loss from the animals perspective. Children won't even realize they are learning, but will be forever changed. This story will touch your heart and awaken your love for this planet and all of it's creatures.

I learned that if there is something really great in the world you should not destroy it. Other kids should read this book because it has great expressions and it's a fun book to read...S.S. (age 8)

Naysayers may decry WHAT THE PARROT TOLD ALICE as propaganda for young minds, you can't go wrong when you've got Dr. Seuss as a trailblazer for kids' eco-fiction. The beginning reminds one of "Brother Bear". A young man is transformed into a parrot to atone for a crime against nature. The young man-turned-parrot ends up, Lorax-style, in the home of Alice Smith, a preteen who, although bright, has no idea of the environmental devastation her species, namely humans, wreaks upon tropical birds and rainforests. While the book and its sequel present grim and what this reviewer thinks of as exaggerated portraits of man's inhumanity to the whole universe, the book also provides an imaginative gateway to thinking about the future of life on this planet as we know it...and as we want it to be...straight from the parrot's mouth, right to our hearts.

It all began in the year 1966, in the Solomon Islands. Manao was 12 years old and had cut down the biggest tree in the forest. This was a huge sin. As punishment, the tribe's magician pronounced that Manao's spirit would inhabit the body of a parrot. During his life as a parrot, he would have a few magical abilities and he would have a special gift that must be used wisely. He would be able to speak his thoughts to ONE human being. Manao would deliver a message about the importance of balance and harmony among life.

Thirty years later...

Bo Parrot "Bobo" chose to speak with Alice, the young girl in the family that kept him as a pet. Bobo could make himself into other types of birds for Alice to talk to and learn from. Bobo told Alice the cruel way in which he came to be with her family. Then he turned into a Goffin's cockatoo, a Spix's macaw, a gray parrot, and several other types of birds. Each bird told Alice where they were from originally and how humans' greed ruined their lives.

***** This book is a perfect way for teens and pre-teens to become aware of species that are in danger of extinction and how to help make sure such atrocities never happen again. In fact, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book goes toward acquisition of wildlife habitat. So it not only teaches those who read it, but just by purchasing it the reader helps the environment!

The author did a wonderful job of creating Alice, which many kids will be able to relate to. Each bird is like a short story and each story is intertwined with a larger tale. Excellent! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.