The enchantment of Golden Eagle by Margaret Wild. Illus. by Stephen Michael King
Ella and her brother Leif find a fledgling eagle with a broken wing, and take the wounded animal back to their house asking their father if it is possible to nurse him back to health. Magnus tells them that if he lasts the night he would survive as Golden Eagles are strong.
Over time the eagle improves, his presence keeping the wolves away from their little house on the edge of the forest. But Magnus warns them that the eagle is ready to fly away, and the children are concerned. The Golden Eagle promises to stay with them as they saved him, but he looks longingly skyward. One day Magnus needs to go away and the eagle promises to look after the children. But as the wind ruffles his feathers, whispering to him, he takes off and dives and soars in the sky, going so high he cannot be seen.
The children are scared and hear the wolves coming closer and hide under the wood pile. The eagle sees the wolves and calls out to the children who show themselves, and he tries to comfort them. Ella is concerned, and tells him that they may have died because he was not there and curses him to fly for a year and a day without landing.
And so Golden Eagle flies high in the sky, he flies in the heat and the cold, wanting to land and rest but unable. Eventually tired out, ragged and spent, he lands at the farm. Leif rushes out to greet him while Ella tells him the curse is not real. But he already knows this. Magnus takes the eagle inside, the family is together, the eagle is home.
This most unusual story of love, responsibility and forgiveness, which reveals touches of old fables and stories about abandoned children, of wounded animals and home, will encourage readers to think about the relationship between animals and humans, and how we live with each other.
The Golden Eagle owes his life to the children and as a result is tied to them, responsible for their well being. How far this responsibility goes is something children will talk about when the book is read.
The marvellous illustrations by King, reveal the things that frighten, menacing wolves lurk at the edge of the forest and are sometimes seen as shapes in the sky. There is a dragon on the house, while many clouds reveal different animals that readers will love finding and talking about.
Children will run their hands over each double page, seeing the eagle and his difficulties in dealing with his relationship with his saviours. Should he join the other birds or stay with the family on the edge of the forest?
King’s images of the Golden Eagle are breathtaking, a few feathers often seen on the page, but when the whole wing is shown, the gold shimmers. And the detail in the little house by the woods will engage readers who will love poring over the things seen. This book had me going back and forth while I read, both checking the fascinating text or running my hands over the illustrations while mulling over some of the ideas raised. Teacher's notes are available from the publisher.
Themes: Forgiveness, Survival, Responsibility, Love, Compassion, Atonement.
Fran Knight