Of all of the birds in the forest, Blackbird was considered the most beautiful. All of the other birds envied his beautiful black feathers, despite their own bright colors. Even though Blackbird assures them it’s what they have on the inside that makes them beautiful, they eventually convince him to stir a “blackening brew.” He uses this to paint specks and stripes and spots of black on their feathers. Ashley Bryan’s rhythmic prose and stunning, vibrant cut-paper collages retell this Zambian folk tale that celebrates the beauty of all creatures both outside and in. (Ages 4–8)

A tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia gets new life in this picture book adaptation from Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan about appreciating one’s heritage and discovering the beauty within.

Black is beautiful, uh-huh!

Long ago, Blackbird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds, who were colored red, yellow, blue, and green, were so envious that they begged Blackbird to paint their feathers with a touch of black so they could be beautiful too. Although Black-bird warns them that true beauty comes from within, the other birds persist and soon each is given a ring of black around their neck or a dot of black on their wings—markings that detail birds to this very day.