A story from thirteenth-century Persian poet Rumi is given visually distinctive treatment in this telling from an Iranian author/illustrator. A merchant is given a parrot as a gift and puts him in a cage. The parrot is miserable, but the merchant loves him too much to let him go. It is only when his beloved bird pretends to be dead — a trick he learns from his parrot friends — that the devastated merchant opens the cage. The parrot flies away, explaining to the merchant that he cannot be happy as a caged bird. The merchant understands, and offers the parrot his garden. “A few days later the parrot came back to the merchant’s garden with his good friend. And the merchant was happy to have the company of two beautiful parrots occasionally.” Rashin’s illustrations have saturated reds and greens and yellows balanced by more modest golds and tans. Repeated motifs and elements of visual humor lend a folkloric feel to this richly embellished story. (Ages 5–8)