The Thing with Feathers

by Douglas Wood

Overview

Allow the quiet wisdom of birds to lift your spirit and steady your path.

Perhaps no beings of the natural world are as inspirational—or as instructive—as birds. They remind us that while life may be tethered to earth, it always holds the possibility of flight. In The Thing with Feathers, best—selling author and illustrator Douglas Wood invites you to learn from our winged companions, whose lives mirror our own in meaningful and metaphorical ways. From building nests and raising young to weathering storms and seeking distant horizons, birds embody the bravery, resilience, and spirit that guide our own paths.

Drawing inspiration from Emily Dickinson’s famous line, “hope is the thing with feathers,” Douglas explores the many qualities that birds embody and reflect in us: wonder, patience, joy, and more. Through poetic musings and elegantly simple illustrations, each page offers insight into how nature—and birds in particular—can guide us through life’s challenges.

Book Features:

• Meditative reflections that use birds as metaphors for inner strength, adaptability, and the courage to grow
• Beautiful artwork that enhances the book’s warm and contemplative tone
• Short, uplifting entries ideal for mindful reading and daily contemplations
• Universal themes of hope, renewal, and personal transformation

A perfect gift for birders, nature enthusiasts, and anyone navigating life’s turning points, The Thing with Feathers is a heartfelt reminder that we, too, can soar with wisdom and grace.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647556211
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/05/2026
Series:	Wisdom of Nature
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	4.25(w) x 5.75(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Douglas Wood is a central—Minnesota—based author, artist, musician, and naturalist. He is the creator of more than 30 books, with over 2.5 million copies in print. His first book, Old Turtle, was hailed as a “profound work” and an “instant classic,” and his other titles include the New York Times best—seller Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth. Douglas has received numerous awards, including the Christopher Medal, Minnesota Book Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota Association for Environmental Education.

Read an Excerpt

Dear Reader:

Perhaps no beings of the natural world are as inspirational or instructive as the birds. They inspire us through their ability to fly, to soar, to travel, to see the world from on high. And they instruct practically and metaphorically by contending with many of the same life conditions we encounter—storms and hardship, the building of a nest and the raising of young ones, the time to leave a nest and to spread one’s own wings, the taking of a great journey.

And of course, birds are simply wonderful to behold—adding music, companionship, color, and beauty to our world.

If “hope is the thing with feathers,” as Emily Dickinson so perfectly put it, there are other things with feathers as well. Things like courage, freedom, perseverance, and perspective. Qualities that are personified by the creatures of cloud and sky and tree, our friends and teachers, the birds.