"The Jackal Who Thought He Was a Peacock" is actually quite a bittersweet story. Jackal is a bit fed up with being plain and boring, and after visiting the nearby Peacock farm daily, Jackal's daydreamy head is filled with plans of how he too can become a primped and colourful character.
Every time Jackal finds a pretty scrap of material or a colourful feather, Jackal secretly collects it and adds it to his coat in the vain hope that it will somehow magically transform him from a scruffy dog-like creature to a thing of beauty.
Jackal's plans are stepped up a notch when he steals some paint from the local dye merchant, splashing and rolling around in each colour. The dye merchant isn't happy that the sneak thief has made off with his valuable pigments, so takes action! Jackal sadly finds that his temporary solution doesn't last.
But this teaches Jackal a valuable lesson. Sometimes it's best to just be happy with the skin you're in, that's the "you" that all your friends love after all.
Tiny Owl Books are bringing some of the best folk tales and stories to life in beautiful attractive books and we really loved this one a lot!
Charlotte's favourite bit: Jackal's crazy colour--splashing antics
Daddy's favourite bit: We love to see a really good version of a traditional folk tale brought to life in this way, a truly magical little book!
(Kindly sent to us for review by Tiny Owl Books)
"The Jackal Who Thought He Was A Peacock"
Written by Fereshteh Sarlak (based on a fable by Rumi)
Illustrated by Firoozeh Golmohammadi
Published by Tiny Owl Books
Publication Date (Hardback): 1st January 2016