Fly, Eagle, Fly!: An African Tale

by Christopher Gregorowski, Niki Daly

After a stormy night, a farmer searching for his lost calf finds a baby eagle that has been blown out of its nest. He takes it home and raises it with his chickens. But when his friend comes to visit one day, he tells the farmer that an eagle should be flying high in the sky, not scrabbling on the ground for grain. How the farmer's friend proves that the bird is an eagle and destined to fly to the sun, is humorously retold by Christopher Gregorowski. Niki Daly's bright water colour illustrations breath life into this powerful and uplifting tale.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Africa, Childrens, African American, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2000

Reviews

[A.khanom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fly, Eagle, Fly! An African Tale retold by Christopher Gregorowski

This story is about an orphaned Eagle who is rescued by a farmer and raised as a chicken. One day the Farmer’s friend pays him a visit and when he sees the Eagle amongst the chickens he is determined to prove that the Eagle is not a chicken. But the Farmer reassures him that the Eagle is a chicken because it behaves like a chicken. After much encouragement the Eagle is too afraid to lift off and fly. So the Farmer’s friend decides to take the Eagle back to its original place and encourages the Eagle to spread his wings and fly into sky where he belongs.

This is a tale originally told by Ghanaian ‘Aggrey of Africa’ is truly inspiring for children as it is about not realising your own potential but from the motivation of others or self-esteem you can soar into the sky.

I think children will enjoy the illustrations which makes the African village come alive. I love the way the African landscape has been described in this book, ‘river snaking like a long, thin ribbon through the golden grasslands, the forest and the veld, stretching down towards the sea’. This story can definitely be used as a cross curricular in Geography, Science, English and PSHE as well as a cross cultural reference point. It can be used as a basis in literacy lessons to write about setting descriptions or narratives about the Eagle.
As the Eagle is a metaphor on life I think this story will be good for KS2 to explore the themes of life, limits and our own potential.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theme: Expressive tale to encourage children to embrace and experience their greatness.

A farmer finds an eagle and raises it to behave like a chicken, until a friend helps the eagle learn to find its rightful place in the sky. A great multicultural book conveying a good theme of self-esteem, cultural pride, and confidence. The illustrations are more mature than most children’s books, but they fit well for this age level. Heightens the reader’s horizon because the characters are convincing, real, and credible.

[Nsiah Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My people of Africa, we are created in the image of God, but men have made us think we are chickens, and still think we are; but we are eagles. Don't be content with the food of the chicken! Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

"How frequently we have thought that we were chickens destined to spend our lives limited to an earthly existence with limited horizons, whereas we are made for something far more noble. We are made for the Sublime, the transcendent. We are not bound to this earth and a humdrum existence but are made for something truly glorious: We are not mere chickens but eagles destined to soar to sublime heights; we are made for freedom and laughter and goodness and love and eternity, despite all appearances to the contrary. We should be straining to become what we have it in us to become; to gaze at the rising sun and lift off and soar."

Thank you Christopher Gregorowski!

[René · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story...all children should be so lucky to have a loved one read this to them....we should all be so lucky to allow the message of this book to seep into our understanding of our spirits. As Desmond Tutu said in the Foreword: "We are made for the sublime, the transcendent. We are not bound to this earth and a humdrum existence but are made for something glorious" Indeed. This is one of those books you want to buy for all your friends and family.

Update: we read this again as a book to accompany our Africa unit study this week…still awesome :)

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking illustrations by Niki Daly, a powerful message (foreword) by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Christopher Gregorowski's adaptation of an African tale.

Love the inspirational message to be all you were meant to be and to take risks and soar high.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part as of an a-z reading challenge. It is a parable about how we are children of God. We are meant to be eagles and soar with the wind and yet the world makes us feel like we are like chickens and crawling in the dirt. The most amazing thing about this book is when it was originally published in South Aftrica the illistrator was only allowed to use two colors as part of govermental restrictions. Recently however, 2000 goverment restrictions have changed and the book was reprinted. It was very enobling to see the full color illustrations and to feel the wind beneath their wings. Fly, eagle, fly

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very touching tale, not only because Gregorowski adapted it for his dying child, and the freedom of flying into the sun, but also to remind us that we are made for more, when society tries to tell us otherwise. Sometimes the life we know holds us back from who we were born to be, only because we don't know any better, no one's ever shown us.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are gorgeous. The metaphor, though; if we're to identify with the eagle, that makes the farmer a horribly abusive kidnapper, and i feel like he was glossed as kindly and none of this is computing at all.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and moving story that signifies pushing beyond your current circumstances and reaching for your greater self.

[Nabiha Almatsri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting story with a meaningful moral ...
I'm going to tell it to my students soon

[Nana Prah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book with a lesson about being who you are because it is the only thing you can be even when others are telling you differently.

[D Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet.

[Lea Kielsholm · Rating 3 out of 5]

En ghanesisk børnefortælling om at være den man er, og ikke være den andre vil have man skal være. Jeg synes historien var smuk, men ikke vildt godt skrevet. Men værd at læse alligevel.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story felt like a First Nations' legend, but it is an African tale. It's a great story about realizing your potential and not settling.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this recommendation in my notes from a Carole Joy Seid conference. Really good book!...krb 3/8/24

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gently inspiring story with beautiful illustrations.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is the story of the eagle who was raised as a chicken by a farmer who found it as a chick on a ledge where it had fallen from its nest. A friend of the farmer made a bet that the eagle could be made to fly. A note from the author relates that this parable was found in the biography of Aggrey of Africa who visited West and South Africa in the 1920's.

Aggrey often shared this story and always closed with these words...
"My people of Africa, we were created in the image of God, but men have made us think we are chickens, and we still think we are; but we are eagles. Don't be content with the food of chickens! Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

I love the song "I Believe I Can Fly" and have it on a c.d. performed by Paula Dunn. Here is a link to the lyrics... http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rkelly...
Here's where it can be added as a ring tone!

"I Believe I Can Fly"

I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

[1]
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

[Repeat 1]

Hey, cause I believe in me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

[Repeat 1]

Hey, if I just spread my wings
I can fly
I can fly
I can fly, hey
If I just spread my wings
I can fly
Fly-eye-eye

[Brianna Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fly, Eagle, Fly is an African tale about a farmer who went out in search of a lost calf but finds a baby eagle instead. He brings it home and raises it with his chickens, and the eagle takes on chicken-like tendencies and believes itself to be a chicken. Despite numerous attempts to make the eagle fly by the townspeople, it never flies from the chicken coop. One day, they bring the eagle to the mountain at sunrise. In its natural environment, without the influences of the chickens, the eagle spreads its wings and soars for the first time--never again to live with the chickens. This is a powerful parable about how if we think we are chickens, we will be confined to the life of a chicken. However if we are in the right environment and feel like an eagle, we will soar like eagles.

This is a tale which has parable-like lesson, which puts it in the genre of traditional literature. It also is a children's book with pictures, so falls into the picture book category.

Possible mentor writing traits include word choice, as the vocabulary is brilliant. Ex: "the golden sun rose majestically, dazzling them."

This could also be integrated into the classroom using the parable as a lesson topic--teaching bigger-picture concepts about self-worth, self-esteem, and environment. Students could also practice making inferences during this book--how do they think the eagle will act when brought back to the chickens? How will the eagle act as an adult?

[Sarfraz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An African man discovers an abandoned, newly hatched eagle and brings it back to his village, where he raises it among his chickens. The eagle, easily influenced by its surroundings, does what the other chickens do: clucks, pecks and does everything else the chickens do. This is until a visitor to the village tries to set things right. The visitor insists that the eagle be restored to its birth-right: "You belong not to the earth, but to the sky. Fly, eagle, fly!"

This story was used in KS2 (year 3) where children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Children were happy to discuss what they liked and disliked about the story and recall a memorable experience by creating a story map. We also had fun creating freeze frames where some of the children were 'eagles' The book also lends itself to art. The book provides colourful and elegant views of the setting and children were able to recall the detailed information to create paintings.

[Suphia Ansari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book about a eagle who has been brought up as a chicken. This book creates a fantastic ethical discussion in KS2. The book is a great resource for creating thought bubbles, narrative script and role play.

When a farmer finds a baby eagle that has been blown from its nest, he takes it home and raises it with his chickens. But when the farmer's friend comes to visit, he tells the farmer that an eagle should be flying high in the sky, not scrabbling around on the ground for grain. The friend is determined to prove that the eagle is really a chicken. Will he succeed in his mission?

[Mary Anjali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple folk tale about a man who finds an injured eagle as a baby and nurse's back to health. He raises it as one of his chickens and the eagle acts and believes that he is a chicken. A neighbor comes to see this eagle and knows that it's true calling is to fly. Time after time he trys to get the eagle to fly but the eagle is scared and does not know how. Eventually the villager tells the man that they must take the bird up to the mountains so it can feel where it belongs, where it was orginally found. The bird stands on a cliff and feels the wind and the sun and learns to fly!

[JustOneMoreBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eagle chick orphaned and raised as a chicken completely forgets its potential.

This brilliant book can be enjoyed for the guaranteed giggles of embarrassment at the eagle’s ridiculous situation, or to prompt discussions of life, limits and the potential of the human spirit.

Listen to our chat about this book on our JustOneMoreBook.com Children's Book Podcast:

http://www.justonemorebook.com/2006/0...

[Erin Weldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fly, Eagle, Fly! is an incredible multicultural picture book that depicts the theme of self-esteem. This is a great story for elementary students to read and develop a sense of finding oneself. The author gives a message within this story for children to "soar to success." Do not stop, keep striving for greatness!

[Erin Leffler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great traditional tale of patience! Students will watch as the baby eagle becomes a chicken, and then attempts to become an eagle once again. With the patience of both main characters, the eagle is given the opportunity to become what it is meant to be. This is a story that I look forward to reading to my students in the next few weeks!

[LeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and moving. Although it may take some a while to catch on to the metaphor, this beautifully-illustrated story will inspire children to spread their wings and fly rather than settle for scratching with the chickens in the dirt.

[Leslie Zinsmeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the art in this book. This book is about a farmer that comes across a baby eagle and raises it with his chickens. The underlying message of the book can be a great lesson to teach the children; finding you true self and becoming independent and soaring to success.

[Kodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the book❤

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous illustrations

Good for RE

Growth mindset

Kindness - the way people treat each other

Inference

Possibility

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it for my 5 year old daughter. Too many words for my 4 year old son.