This story, by Stewart Metz, with illustrations by Joan Tilke, describes the adventures of Cornelius (aka "Corky"), a young Salmon-crested cockatoo, who is sent to America by his parents to avoid 'The Menace' (a threat to all cockatoos on Seram). While in the U.S., Corky meets a number of weird and wonderful creatures and people until he is called back to Seram to face an emergency. This 103-page book is written largely for children in the 7-12 yr. age range. However, it is also fit for reading by adults, either to themselves or to their younger children. Although it is fundamentally a light-hearted work of fiction, there is an overtone of the serious and even the tragic, since the story is based on fact.

It is a fable because according to the dictionary :

A fable is "a short allegorical narrative making a moral point, traditionally by means of animal characters who speak and act like human beings." Jacob Grimm clarified that ""The fable must exhibit the animals as being endowed with human reason, and initiated into all the customs and conditions of our mode of living, so that their behavior has nothing at all odd in it."

"The Flight of Cornelius Cockatoo" makes a great Holiday or birthday present for children and adults alike! Place your order now to avoid the Holiday rush.

Copies of "Cornelius" can be ordered at www.lulu.com (click "buy now") for $34.50 each, plus shipping and handling. A portion of any proceeds will be donated to the Indonesian Parrot Project to promote the conservation of Salmon-crested Cockatoos like Cornelius, as well as other endangered Indonesian parrots.

In addition, the Indonesian Parrot Project would be very grateful for any direct donations, all of which will be used to support our key programs. Such contributions are 100% tax-deductible and can be made through the "donate now" link below.

We hope that both children and adults enjoy reading "The Flight of Cornelius Cockatoo," while at the same time learning more about a real-life tragedy which threatens the very survival of these magnificent creatures.

Our best greetings to you as we head into our holiday season.

Stewart Metz & Joan Tilke