Azizi And The Little Blue Bird

This contemporary fairy tale is set in the Land of the Crescent Moon, where oppressive rulers have captured all the blue birds and imprisoned the population in fear and suffering. Young Azizi lives with his parents under this iron-fisted regime, watching as the leaders grow fat and indulgent while the people shrink from hunger and oppression until they are nearly invisible. When a small blue bird escapes from the palace cage, it inspires Azizi—now no bigger than a pine nut—to take action against tyranny. Together, Azizi and the brave little bird embark on a courageous journey to liberate their people from the cruel and greedy rulers and restore peace to their land. The colorful brush and acrylic illustrations bring this allegorical tale to life with vivid imagery that contrasts the darkness of oppression with the hope symbolized by the little blue bird, as the story draws inspiration from Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution. The book is a powerful narrative about freedom and resistance for young readers. mjw

Title: Azizi And The Little Blue Bird
Author: Laila Koubaa
Illustrator
: Mattias De Leeuw
Publisher
: Lantana Publishing Ltd.
Copyright
: 2025
Original Language
: Flemish
Translator
: David Colmer
Original Title
: Azizi en de lkeine blauwe vogel
Original Publisher
: Book Island. New Zealand
Original Copyright
: 2013
ISBN
: 978-1-83629-009-4
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 5-10
Genre
: Picture Book, Fairy Tale
Book setting
: Tunisia
Author’s ethnicity
: Tunisian and Flemish
Author’s residence
: Flanders, Belgium
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Belgian
Illustrator’s residence
: Belgium
Subjects
: Activism, Fairy Tales, Freedom, Jasmine Revolution, Oppression, Politics and government, Social justice

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