Lotus and Feather by Ji-Li Jiang illustrated by Julie Downing

Lotus has been unwell, and her illness has taken her voice away. The other children no longer invite her to play. She lives with her kind, wise and compassionate grandfather beside a lake that used to be filled with lotus flowers, birds and fish. 

"One morning, Lotus went to collect reeds for her Grandpa. She stopped in awe when she saw a big bird, as white as fresh snow, standing in the marsh grass. Its wide wings edged with black feathers, like lace on a dress. Above the long, curved neck, its head was crowned with a red top like a dazzling ruby."

As Lotus stands looking at this exquisite creature a gunshot startles her. Her bird has been shot. She carefully carries him back to her grandfather. Over the coming weeks and months Feather gradually heals and eventually he stands up and even seems to dance. This entrances the other children. Then one evening Feather begins to crow loudly. He has sensed an earthquake. Lotus and her grandfather rush to alert the villagers because their lake is about to flood. 

Bookseller blurb: A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter's bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl's reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that's not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.

Elegant storytelling and arresting compositions combine for a deeply satisfying emotional and aesthetic experience. Best shared one-on-one or in a small group so that children can pore over the lively and engaging artwork. School Library Journal

Downing’s finely crafted illustrations perfectly complement this reassuring story. Done with watercolor, pencil, and paint and digitally collated, they have the look of Chinese paintings, with misty backgrounds and gently bending reeds. The rosy-cheeked children wear red scarves, alluding to the author’s own childhood during the Cultural Revolution. Kirkus

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything set up an extensive display of books for Chinese New Year and among them I found Lotus and Feather. This is a book to read and treasure and it has wonderful illustrations. It was published in 2017 but I think it is still available although sadly, as with all US Picture books now, it is very expensive at over AUS$40. I have not found a paperback edition. 

Here is the webpage of the illustrator Julie Downing. Read more about Ji-Li Jiang here. You can watch a video of the book at Storyline Online.