* Hans Christian Andersen   THE NIGHTINGALE   JERRY PINKNEY    2002

     This is a wonderful story about a king, palace, and nightingale bird.  The Moroccan King expects all the most splendid of things, and has them.  He wants everyone to yearn for the materialistic things that he has.  He soon hears of a Nightingale bird that is said to have the most beautiful song, and is very unattainable.  The palace men are sent out to find the bird because if they can not find it then the King plans to trample the whole town to death.  The palace men soon get wind that a small servant girl knows of the nightingale.  The men ask her about it and promise her food in return.  She takes him to the nightingale and the bird agrees to come to the palace and sing for the man.  When the Nightingale gets to the palace and sings for the king, he wants her to stay forever and places her in cage where she is only to be let out two times daily.   The king has a replica made of her that is saturated with gold, rubies and all  precious stones.  It also can sing just as beautifully as the real bird.  The king, and town worship the bird, and the real bird soon escapes the cage.  The king then banishes the real bird from ever coming back into the palace.  The king soon becomes sick and is too weak to even lift his arm and turn the fake bird on to hear its song.  Soon death comes to visit the king and he wants to drown out the horrible sounds of death but can not due to weakness and the bird breaks and can not be fixed.  The real Nightingale visits the king and makes him cry and scares away death.  The king is so grateful he gives the nightingale a spot to sing for him, and gives the little servant girl a gold nightingale shaped medal. 
It has spectacular illustrations that enhance the culture and diversity of the Moroccan culture.    It is great for any age, but 3rd grade and above would enjoy and comprehend the story.  It has some aspects that may be challenging for younger students. such as death coming to visit and the depiction of death.  It is also a long story and may have difficult language for younger students.