The Secret Rescuers: The Baby Firebird

Paula Harrison's The Baby Firebird is a magical rescue story for 7 year olds about a girl who can suddenly talk to the creatures she's always watched from afar.

What happens

Talia's village sits at the edge of a rainforest. Across the river is a secret valley where the firebirds live, with little golden flames flickering on their wings. Nobody from her village is allowed to cross.

A week ago a girl called Sophy gave Talia a special stone. Open it up and it lets her talk to magical animals. Talia has searched the forest every day to test it (and got told off for not doing her chores).

Then a young firebird pokes his head out of a bush by her front step. His name is Riki. He's run away from home because he wanted to see what a window looks like!

Riki is SO much fun. He preens in Talia's mirror for ages and complains loudly about being squashed into a pot. He calls Talia's friend Lucas "boy" until Talia puts him right.

That's the other joke running through it. Talia is the only one who can understand Riki. Lucas only hears squawks, and both the boy and the bird get very grumpy about only knowing half of what's going on.

The trouble arrives on horseback. A rude, sweaty lord and his soldiers ride into the village looking for the firebirds and a legendary Cave of Wonders, which they're sure is full of treasure. They even carry the queen's seal.

So Talia has a choice. Does she keep the village rule, or break it to warn the firebirds? It's a very real dilemma for a young reader, and she's brave about it without being bossy.

There's peril in it, but it's gentle. The firebirds are peaceful and the grown-up villain is more ridiculous than frightening (Lucas calls him Lord Sweaty-pants). Some of the firebirds do get quite poorly later on, so a very soft-hearted reader may need a hug at that point.

The rainforest is lovely to read too. Parrots, honey-scented red flowers, mist in the treetops and a sleepy dragon snoring smoke out of a hole in the ground.

What to read next

If your reader likes animals, kindness and a bit of magic, this is a lovely choice. It's part of the Secret Rescuers series, and you can go back to where Sophy's own story starts in The Storm Dragon, which begins with a castle maid, a chest of crystals the queen is throwing out and a golden songbird with something to show her.