The Soul Bird - Michal Snunit

...inside our bodies,
lives the soul.
No one has ever seen it,
but we all know it's there.
Not only do we know it's there,
we know what's in it, too"

My grandfather was a religious correspondent for the BBC, he also wrote many books about religion, but after many years of searching he decided that he was a Quaker. My grandmother was also a Quaker and a few months before she died she gave me The ...
...powerful.

The Soul Bird is written by Michal Snunit, an Israeli author born in 1940. She has taken on many literary roles from editing a weekly magazine to being a journalist for a daily paper or writing lyrics for children's musicals. She is best known for her poetry and short stories for children and adults. Her most notorious achievement is The Soul Bird in which she attempts to describe the relationship between what we know as ... more

"Deep down,
inside our bodies,
lives the soul.
No one has ever seen it,
but we all know it's there.
Not only do we know it's there,
we know what's in it, too"

My grandfather was a religious correspondent for the BBC, he also wrote many books about religion, but after many years of searching he decided that he was a Quaker. My grandmother was also a Quaker and a few months before she died she gave me The Soul Bird, I read it quickly and then put it on my book case and forgot all about it. After she was gone I spent some more time reading this book, it can be quite powerful.

The Soul Bird is written by Michal Snunit, an Israeli author born in 1940. She has taken on many literary roles from editing a weekly magazine to being a journalist for a daily paper or writing lyrics for children's musicals. She is best known for her poetry and short stories for children and adults. Her most notorious achievement is The Soul Bird in which she attempts to describe the relationship between what we know as ourselves and our souls. She wrote this book to combat the loneliness she felt whilst growing up. This book is now a best seller which has been published in 25 different languages, selling 400,000 copies in her home country. The book us simplistic, almost childlike language to express a deeply philosophical message.
To find out more about Michal Snunit visit http://www.ithl.org.il/author_info.asp?id=261

The simple poetic story tells that within every individual soul there is a soul bird which stands on one leg. Everyone has a soul and everyone has a soul bird. When we are happy, when someone gives us a hug, the bird feels us up, when we are sad or angry the bird runs around in pain. The soul bird is made of draws, each draw contains a feeling, or an emotion.
"one for being happy and one for being sad;
one for being jealous and one for being content;
one for being hopeful and one for being hopeless;
one for being patient and one for being impatient.
There is also one for hating and for being loved.
There is even a drawer for being lazy and one for being vain"
The soul bird opens these draws by using it's other foot. Sometimes when you feel one way the soul bird opens a different drawer, even if you feel quiet the soul bird may open the talking drawer. The best thing you can do is listen to your bird, because not everyone is lucky enough to hear their bird. The best thing you can do is follow your heart and your soul.
It is difficult to describe the story any further as it is so simplistic, most of this book is illustrations, drawn by Na' ama Golomb.

This book has connections with Christianity and Quakerism, the book is sacrosanct to both faiths.

School & Library Binding: 44 pages
Publisher: Constable and Robinson; New Ed edition (4 Mar 2004)
Language English
ISBN 1-85487-589-2
Product Dimensions: 16 x 12.4 x 1.2 cm

The Recommended Retail Price for this book is £4.99. However it can be purchased on Amazon for £4.49 or on Biblio.com from £1.49.

I know that this book will not be for everyone, but I think it is a nice one especially for kids. I think that this poetic book gently introduces the idea of the soul within us all. This book means a lot to me because it was a gift from my late grandmother.
I don't expect this review will inspire many people to go out and buy this book but at least I have shared something which is special to me. If you do happen to see this one whilst on your travels, pick it up, flick through, you never know, it might strike a cord with you too.

Hope to have helped

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If there is any additional information you would like or think would improve this review, please let me know.

"Some of us hear it all the time.
Some almost never.
And some of us hear it
only once in a lifetime.

That's why it's a good idea -
maybe late at night when everything is quiet -
to listen to the soul bird
deep down inside us"

You can read the whole poem at http://www.visual-worlds.de/Seelenvogelen.htm 

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