A Drop of Gold

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at the University of Victoria. She is the
co-author of Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary
Classroom.

Mother Nature has been very busy creating a wonderful and colorful
world. However, she has overlooked the birds and they are colorless.
Mother Nature’s special helpers, the monkeys, arrive with pails of
paint, brushes, and baskets of supplies. The monkeys begin to paint the
birds and add stripes, speckles, and spots. Once painted, the birds
begin to try out various feathers, bills, crests, masks, feet, and combs
until each is satisfied with how it is dressed. When the decorating is
complete, the birds begin to dance and whirl around, showing one another
their fine new accessories. Suddenly a small, tired white bird flutters
above the colorful dancing birds. It explains how it got lost on its way
and hopes it can be painted blue with orange dots. Alas, only a drop of
brown paint is left. The little bird is sad because it is so plain.
However, Duck remembers a tiny pot of gold that is to be used for
something special. A drop of gold paint falls into the tiny brown
bird’s throat and then it begins to sing. It is the most beautiful
voice any of the birds have heard. “One day, his name would be
Nightingale.”

Vlasta van Kampen’s detailed, energetic watercolor illustrations
complement and extend her nicely written text. The illustrations of the
birds experimenting with various crests, bills, masks, and other
accessories are very comical. The expressions on the birds’ faces are
delightfully communicative. Highly recommended.