Pink children's book titled 'Song for a Princess' with an illustration of a princess with yellow hair, a crown, and a dress, holding a small bird, with a bee and a butterfly nearby.

Song for a Princess

The hero of this story is an ordinary little bird who collects words on the breeze. They’re treasures that he takes back to his nest to keep him warm. When the princess is sad it's only the little bird with his words who can cheer her up.

The artist and illustrator Maddy McClellan was the perfect choice for Song for a Princess. "Her paintings often depict animals as totems and symbols of hope or change" which really comes through in my Bird Who Loved Words.

Bird from Song for a Princess with brown feathers.

When a princess casts a shadow over her palace garden, the birds who live there try to help her find happiness again. The peacock dazzles her with the beauty of his feathers. The magpie tempts her with jewels. The nuthatch and the starling give her a banquet of nuts and blackberries. But even the seagull who brings the smell of ice cream and sandcastles on his wings fails to make the Princess smile.

This book was dedicated to “My Mum and Dad who treasure words too” I was inspired to love of words from an early age and will always be thankful for that.”

Bird from Song for a Princess with brown feathers.

What a little bird said.

  • “So nice that it’s the ordinary bird that saves the day… with words instead of jewels. There’s a lovely moral to this story.”

  • “Our children loved the idea of collecting words that made them happy to save for a rainy day.”

  • “A was keen to listen to Rachael's story 'Song for a princess' He then came up with words that made him happy to put in his box. He spoke about family and his friends and special words that he found funny that he likes to say.”

Discover my other books