Days of the Blackbird

By Tomie dePaola

Book Overview

In this elegant tale, Tomie dePaola imagines how Le Giornate della Merla,the Days of the Blackbird, came to be celebrated. Gemma and her father, Duca Gennaro, live in a house with a Great Hall and acourtyard that fill with birds of all colors through the spring and summer. They all sing tothe duke, but his favorite is La Colomba. When the duke falls ill and Gemma is worried,La Colomba refuses to fly south, even though snow and fierce winds swirl down on thevillage. Each day she sings to Duca Gennaro. In a painterly style reminiscent of Italian frescoes, Tomie dePaola gives usbreathtaking glimpses of the Italian mountains through high windows and archeddoorways, and of the exquisite courtyard and magnificent interiors of Duca Gennaro'shouse. A moving and beautiful story for all ages.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399229299
• ISBN13: 9780399229299
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.4" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Days of the Blackbird written by Tomie de Paola

There are three main characters in this book; Duca Gennaro, Gemma, La Colombia. Duca Gennero is a duke who has a huge house in the middle of the town. He lived alone with his daughter Gemma. He would let anyone in the town come into his house for anything they needed because Duca Gennaro was a kind and wise man. He was also known for his good advice that would bring people in. Everyday, he would ask Gemma how her day was and what she learned. They would go into the courtyard and listen to the birds sing. Gemma's favorite bird was a pure white one, that she named La Colombia. Then the winter came and the birds flew away to somewhere warm. Duca Gennaro always would reassure Gemma that Spring would be here soon. Then Spring came again and Gemma and her father listened to the birds sing. Duca Gennaro got sick after one hot summer, a year later. He would ask Gemma to open the window, so he could hear the birds sing. Soon the winter came, and the birds were ready to leave. Gemma made them baskets to live in and feed them too, so they would stay tho sing to her dad. Christmas came and all the children it the town came to Duca Gennaro's house to get a Christmas present. All the birds flew away because it was too cold. La Colombia was the only one that stayed there. The Duke was still sick. His friends knew that he loved the music from the birds, so they decided to play some music for him. The Duke wasn't happy because he wanted to hear the birds sing. It got even colder outside, but La Colombia still stayed. La Colombia flew up to the chimney to make a nest for himself. Will Duca Gennaro get better? Will Spring ever come? What will happen to La Colombia? Read the book to find the answers to these questions. I really enjoyed this book because I think that Tomie de Paola is a great author and illustrator. He writes books that the whole family can enjoy!