"A Circle of Birds" by Mark Givens

A privileged bird leads a sheltered life of slow decline while the birds in the village work hard to improve their lot.

A Circle of Birds is a gentle children’s book, beautifully illustrated, which tells the story of young Brightful, a bird born into a life of protective feathers. Color and light surround Brightful, who enjoys all the worms he can eat and friends eager to serve his needs. Only when he visits town does he see poor birds, tired after a day of work. Dirty with sparse feathers! He wonders how they got themselves in such a fix? (Age 6 recommended)

—Susan I. Weinstein, author of Tales of the Mer Family Onyx.

Graphically savvy and narratively astute, Givens delivers Terry Southern pathos for the picture book set. Brightly feathered and so, so dry.

—David Carpenter, author of From Alex to Ursula (and then a few more)

Delightful drawings accompany a charming parable of privilege and class, ending on a note of defiant optimism. A relevant story for our times.

—David Lester, artist and musician

This parable for a divided age, beautifully illustrated, lodges in the memory and makes you think differently about the unequal way that life hands out its gifts. It's a tale of entitlement and privilege with an unexpectedly happy ending – but not for the one you might expect.

—John Helmer, author of Mother Tongue, musician, podcaster (The Learning Hack, Great Minds on Learning)

A privileged bird leads a sheltered life of slow decline while the birds in the village work hard to improve their lot. "A Circle of Birds" is a children's parable written and illustrated by Mark Givens.

Text and Drawing by Mark Givens
Music and Editing by Dennis Callaci

Mark Givens

Mark Givens is the owner of Pelekinesis, co-owner of Bamboo Dart Press, and a founding member of the indieground band Wckr Spgt.
He is the former publisher of MungBeing Magazine, Salmon Bosch, and The Bowl Sheet. He is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), the Academy of American Poets, Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP), The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and the Inlandia Institute.

Twitter: @mungbeing

Ello: @pelekinesis

Website: www.cashnexus.com

I grew up in Southern California, in the Pomona Valley, and have deep roots in the Southern California DIY art and music scene.

Voyage LA
May 15, 2018

My artistic life is grounded in the folk revival, marinated in pop art and seasoned by punk rock, with a healthy DIY ethic running through it all.

Shoutout LA
October 12, 2020