Booky Advent calendar Day 21: "Starbird" by Sharon King-Chai (Two Hoots Books)

We often like to throw a bit of a curve-ball into our seasonal Booky Advent Calendar selections, and this year "Starbird" by Sharon King-Chai fits the bill perfectly.

Though it's not a christmas book per se, it fits with the season perfectly with its glorious shimmery almost snowy cover, gorgeous illustrations and atmospheric story of a bird's flight as the wee small hours descend, against the backdrop of a silvery moon.

Sharon's lyrical story touches on the subject of freedom and love - for what is freer than a bird able to fly through the sky? As the Starbird soars to escape the clutches of the Moon King, the story gently lulls you in as the brave bird mounts a courageous attempt to burst free from a cage where the moon king has trapped him to give to his daughter. For all birds should be free, and the moon king pays a hefty price for his mistake.

A touching story with a positive message for this time of year, "Starbird" by Sharon King-Chai is out now, published by Two Hoots Books (kindly supplied for review).