The Little Ninja Sparrows

Book excerpt: The adventures of two runaway baby sparrows by award-winning author Ranjit Lal. Chiddy and Gouri, two baby sparrows, are bullied mercilessly by their elder siblings. They are so traumatized that they absolutely refuse to learn how to fly. Instead, they run away, kindly assisted by Breaking Wind--a jovial breeze. But they quickly discover that the world is an unkind place; they are trapped, dyed red, caged and sold off. A kind girl frees them, but the sparrows--still red and flightless--end up on the 'hit list' of the local cat mafia. From there, how do the timid little birds become the feared ninja sparrows? Will they be able to defeat the evil Siamese cats Ping-Li and Pong-La? Will they ever be able to return to their families? And will they finally realize that being a bird means being able to fly free? In this delightful book, Ranjit Lal reveals the incredible drama that flourishes among bird and animal lives in the gardens and parks all around us. Clever, funny and full of non-stop adventure, The Little Ninja Sparrows is about finding your true place in the world--whether human or sparrow.