Song of the Swallows Melissa Sweet But that's when things start

But that's when things start to go haywire

And when a sprained ankle delays their return to civilization

and it is their bond that inspired the book

she is zipping through the days

and one of those rare picture books that resonates with every reader at any age

Song of the Swallows Melissa Sweet But that's when things startSong of the Swallows, which won the Caldecott Medal when it was first published in 1948, was written and illustrated by Leo Politi, one of Los Angeles' most beloved artists. It tells the famous story of the yearly return of the swallows to the Mission San Juan Capistrano through the eyes of a small child. Julian, the bell ringer of the Mission, tells Juan, a young boy who also lives at the Mission, the story of the swallows and how without anyone