Lugalbanda, while following his brother to war, becomes ill and is left behind. His kindness and courage enable him to bargain with the Anzu bird to give him extraordinary speed and powers that ultimately help him resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner. The legend of Lugalbanda provides insight into ancient and contemporary Iraq and introduces readers to the earliest known cuneiform story. It also serves as a reminder that peaceful resolutions to conflict have been sought since the earliest recorded stories of war and peace. Well-documented author notes relay how this book was compiled and provide historical insights into the Sumerians. 2007 USBBY Outstanding International Books List. jm

Originally published by Walker Books Great Britain, in 2006.

Found in Iraq and older than the Bible, the Koran, or the Torah, this stirring epic - the world's oldest written story - now becomes available to a general readership for the very first time.

Lugalbanda woke with a jolt. He opened his eyes and what did he see but the terrible Anzu bird beating its wings in its nest high above. . . . Did he quake? Did he quail? No. Lugalbanda the Brave sat and stared, and into his head came a brilliant idea.

Before the Bible and the Koran, before even the Greek and Roman myths, there came a story from the land we now call Iraq. Speaking across five thousand years, in a voice so fresh and timeless it could have been written yesterday, this tale tells of an extraordinary journey, of a magical bird, of a battle that wouldn't end, and of wisdom gained. It is the story of Lugalbanda, a boy in a time of war.

Etched on clay tablets in cuneiform, lost underground for thousands of years, and rediscovered just 150 years ago, this account of the epic adventures of a loyal, resourceful boy is renarrated in lyrical prose by Kathy Henderson and set against Jane Ray's glorious images glinting with gold.