A captivating short story taken from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by two great Irish talents in children's fiction today

On the day of the Winter Solstice, all the birds of Ireland assemble before the wise old Barn Owl to choose their ruler by a trial of flight. When Iolar the Golden Eagle, the largest and most powerful bird there, is challenged to the title by the tiny and mysterious Dreolin the Wren, his feathers aren't ruffled: he thinks he deserves to win. But perhaps his confidence is misplaced, for having courage, heart and the respect of your peers are just as important as strength and endurance...

An uplifting tale of the triumph of ingenuity over strength, whose memorable characters are brought to life by evocative artwork.

Look out for the other eleven stories - also available as e-shorts!

This book is part of a book series called Beyond the Stars .

This book has been graded for interest at 9-13 years.

There are 50 pages in this book. This is a short story book. This book was published 2014 by HarperCollins Publishers .

Chris Haughton is a freelance illustrator and designer from Ireland. He has been working in London as an illustrator for the past 5 years. He is well known for his work with Fair Trade and People Tree. An authority on mythology and folklore, Michael Scott is one of Ireland's most successful authors. A master of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and folklore, he has been hailed by the Irish Times as "the King of Fantasy in these isles".