The Wings of Courage
by Barbara Wersba

Hardcover, 70 pages

ISBN 13: 978-0807614341
$12.95 (Can $14.95)

A story about facing fears and finding fulfillment, The Wings of Courage tells the tale of Clopinet, a timid, eleven-year-old French boy who is suddenly forced to face the world on his own. Afraid of the dark, of thunder, and even of falling asleep, Clopinet is a sensitive boy. He is also lame. Fearing that he will not be able to earn a living as a farmer, Clopinet's parents apprentice him to a tailor. But the tailor is a foul, hunchbacked man and Clopinet does not want to go with him. The very night he is taken away, he escapes, following the sound of the crashing surf until he finds himself before the sea. Living among the seabirds, Clopinet becomes strong, learning to trust the laws of nature and to trust himself. It is here, on the cliffs of Normandy, that Clopinet grows "wings of courage." His life on the cliffs is the start of a journey that takes him across the ocean to countries far and wide, where he satisfies as he never dreamed possible his love for nature and travel. A story with timeless appeal, The Wings of Courage will inspire readers of all ages with its noble message of the power of the individual and the beauty of nature.