The Little White Bird - J.M. Barrie - Bookniverse

In the foggy streets of London, a lonely, retired British soldier spends his days walking through Kensington Gardens with his faithful dog. To escape his quiet everyday life, he invents a fantasy world for a young boy named David, telling him whimsical stories about the magical creatures that wake up in the park after dark. At the very heart of these tales is a magical, runaway baby who can fly and lives on an island in the Serpentine, refusing ever to grow up. This enchanting story, The Little White Bird, is the birthplace of one of the most famous characters in all of world literature: Peter Pan. The book beautifully balances the realistic sadness of adult life with the joyful, limitless imagination of a child.****************************The mastermind behind this tender story was J. M. Barrie, a celebrated Scottish author and playwright born in 1860. Barrie had a unique and sensitive understanding of childhood, influenced by his own life experiences and his close friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family. He loved playing games with the family's young boys in Kensington Gardens, and their playful, imaginative adventures directly inspired the character of David and the magical mythology of Peter Pan. Published in 1902, The Little White Bird captures the bittersweet feeling of watching children grow up too quickly.