7 h 29 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 29 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A lonely man watches London from his club window, until a small boy draws him into a world he cannot own.
In J. M. Barrie's The Little White Bird, Captain W. has money, leisure and his faithful dog, Porthos, but longs for a family. He hides that longing behind jokes. When he becomes involved with Mary, her husband and their son David, his quiet interest turns into affection—and a jealous wish for the boy's love.
Bedtime stories lead Captain W. and David into Kensington Gardens, where Peter Pan first appears: a baby who flies from his nursery to live among birds and fairies. David helps shape these tales. Around their shared fantasy runs a gentler, stranger struggle: an adult reaches toward childhood, yet finds parts of that world closed to him.
What you’ll discover
- Peter Pan's beginnings Meet the half-bird, half-human baby who wants only to play in Kensington Gardens.
- A teasing companion Follow Captain W. as he wanders, doubles back and speaks directly to you.
- Affection with an edge Watch friendship and jealousy mingle as the narrator competes for David's love.
- Secrets among the birds Encounter Solomon Caw, the old crow who knows how birds and babies are linked.
- Childhood just beyond reach Feel the gap between a child's world and the adult who longs to enter.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy a witty, warm narrator, tales of fairies and childhood play, and old London streets. It suits anyone curious about where Peter Pan first came from.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A journey back begins with David
- A dropped letter brings lovers together
- An imaginary son conceals real kindness
- An earlier loss shapes his tenderness
- David lets the captain enter
- Peter belongs between birds and children
- Shared stories cannot stop growing up
- Love makes competing claims on David
- Small pictures carry the hidden sadness
Who’s who
- Captain WA retired soldier and clubman who tells the story, jokes about love, and secretly longs for a family of his own.
- DavidMary's small son, who calls the captain father only in a hurry and wants adventures, fairies and a wrecked island.
- MaryA clever former nursery governess, now a mother, whose kindness and curiosity keep drawing the captain closer.
- PorthosThe captain's giant St. Bernard, loyal and gentle, who believes every toy the captain buys is meant for him.
- IreneA Drury Lane girl who becomes David's nurse, proud of her cap, her gutta-percha tooth and her faith in Cinderella.
- Peter PanA boy who flew from his nursery, lives among the birds, and tries to play as real children do.
- Maimie ManneringA brave girl of four who is shut in the Gardens after dark and meets Peter and the fairies.
- Solomon CawThe wise old crow who rules the island in the Serpentine and sends babies to the houses of London.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
The Little White Bird in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Little White Bird
by J. M. Barrie · 1902
A lonely captain drives a small boy six years back in time, to watch a young governess drop a letter.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“always try to be a little kinder than necessary”
In short
Why would a grown man tell a cabby to drive back six years? In this book a bachelor captain does just that, taking a small boy named David to a club window in Pall Mall.
The Little White Bird at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 25 min3 h 30 min fast, 5 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 62,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1902by J. M. Barrie
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A lonely captain tells of a boy
The book is told by a retired soldier called Captain W, who lives in London rooms with a huge St. Bernard dog named Porthos. A small boy called David sometimes calls him father, and he treasures it far more than he admits. David's mother, Mary, keeps sending invitations. The captain always declines, because he has no wish to meet the woman.
He speaks of Mary like a man hiding a bruise. He mocks her tiny handkerchief and her anxious pride. Yet he notices how she suffers when the boy climbs a tree. His jokes keep leaning toward tenderness.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1902
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 50 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Barrie, J. M. The Little White Bird. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-little-white-bird.
Barrie, J. M. (2026). The little white bird. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-little-white-bird (Original work published 1902)
Barrie, J. M. The Little White Bird. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-little-white-bird.
@book{barrie2026little,
author = {Barrie, J. M.},
title = {The Little White Bird},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-little-white-bird},
note = {First published 1902}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Little White Bird
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Little White Bird about?
A lonely London bachelor, Captain W, helps a young couple, befriends their little boy David, and tells him stories in Kensington Gardens. Within it is the first telling of the boy who becomes Peter Pan.
Is The Little White Bird the origin of Peter Pan?
Yes, in a way. Peter Pan first appears in chapters of this 1902 novel, as a baby who flies away to live with birds and fairies in Kensington Gardens. Barrie later made him the hero of his play.
Who is the narrator of The Little White Bird?
Captain W is a retired soldier and clubman who tells the story in his own mocking voice. He pretends to dislike Mary and children, but his actions show how much he cares for David.
The author
J. M. Barrie
1860–1937 · Scottish novelist and playwright
J. M. Barrie was a Scottish novelist and playwright, remembered above all as the creator of Peter Pan. Peter and Wendy (1911), his novelization of the beloved stage play, gave the world Neverland, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook in their fullest literary form.
“always try to be a little kinder than necessary”
More by J. M. Barrie
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
