"An acclaimed journalist seeks to understand the mysterious allure of peacocks-and in the process discovers unexpected and valuable life lessons"--

"Young Flannery collects birds of every type she can find. But when she brings home a peacock to be the king of her collection, he refuses to show off his colourful tail"--Front jacket flap.

Every day at the Athensville Zoo the peacocks are allowed to wander freely among the visitors, delighting and guiding kids and grownups alike, and kind, curious Plum is the peacock most proud of their responsibility. But Itch the ningbing--a type of very small marsupial--doesn't understand why those birdbrains should get so much freedom while he's all cooped up. So he plots and plots, sure that he will escape and become the zoo ambassador!

When Prewitt the peacock's shamefully scraggly tail develops the appearance of a scary greeneyed monster, the other peacocks decide it has to go.

Naomi, an Amish girl whose elders have impressed upon her the importance of adhering to the simple ways of her people, is horrified when one of her hen eggs hatches into an extremely fancy bird.