#505 of 1001 · December 18, 2021

Come revel in the strange adventure of The Twins and the Bird of Darkness by Robert D. San Souci and Terry Widener. Soliday is as kind and considerate as his twin brother Salacota is rude and selfish. Together, the two unlikely companions set off across the Caribbean Sea to defeat the Bird of Darkness, a fearsome creature with heads of seven different colors, and rescue the king’s daughter Marie from its foul clutches. Soliday vanquishes the avian monster, but Salacota, envious of his brother’s success, betrays him, sails back in his stead, and claims the reward of Marie’s hand in marriage. Soliday in turn must voyage home, expose his brother’s treachery, and take his place at Marie’s side. San Souci’s narrative, bolstered by Widener’s cheerful, smooth-textured art, celebrates daring, generosity, and forgiveness in equal measure. A note for folklore enthusiasts: San Souci includes an author’s note revealing that his text is composited from thirteen variant tales gathered on the island of Guadeloupe and published in Folk-Lore of the Antilles, French and English by Elsie Clews Parsons. #twins #bird #darkness #island #boat #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks