Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Nonfiction Review 1- Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Bird by Sy Montogomery

 



1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, Sy. 2010. KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD’S STRANGEST PARROT. Ill. Nic Bishop. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Age Range: 10-14    Lexile: 940  Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Winner American Library Association Notable Books for Children Award Winner 
Nominated for Young Hoosier Book Award (2012-13)
 

2. Summary
 Join author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop to Codfish Island, located on the southern coast of New Zealand, and meet the kakapo ((KAR-ka-poe), a rare and unusual species of parrot that only comes out at night, lives underground, and smells of honey. Once numbered in the millions, there are only ninety-one left in the world.  With the help of fourteen humans who share a single hut and a passion for saving these odd ground-dwelling birds, the kakapo are making a comeback in New Zealand. 

  3. My Review
 Montegomery and Bishop do a really good job of presenting their ten day trip to New Zealand to live among the volunteers and the birds. It almost feels like you're actually there, seeing the triumphs and trials that go on each day to save these amazing, " winged weirdos." This book is well written and filled with vivid pictures of the birds, the volunteers who love their work, and other life on the island ( including penguins!!!)

Part of the Scientists in the Field  series, the book is presented in chapters, each flowing wonderfully from one adventure to the next. On this adventure, we learn that  life on Codfish Island is filled with happy moments, such as the birth of new chicks, and sad moments,  such as when one of the chicks is found dead from eating a sharp seed. “That’s life with a kakapo. Things crumble sometimes", as said by volunteer Daryl when the death happens.

My favorite part of the book happens in an  anedote called " A Night with Sirocco." Here, the author and crew encounter a very friendly male kakapo. Shy at first, the bird soon is hopping on everyone, even the author.  It is explained by the rangers he is love-with the humans. I can just imagine the laugh track and cartoon-ish music as the scene of  the lovesick parrot is happening. ( Toward the end of the book, she has another encounter with a kakapo named Sinbad. This visit is much calmer and consider by the author "a blessing" and photographer Nic " an incredible gift" .)


On her last day on Codfish Island, author Sy Montogomery has a magical visit with Sinbad.












This book introduces us to an amazing bird that hopefully, thanks to the Kakapo Recovery Team, will still be around for years to come. I would definitely this book recommended for ages 10 and up, especially for those that love animals.


  4. Connections to the Classroom
  • Before reading the book to students ask them if they have ever heard of a kakapo and what they think it might look like.
  • Ask students what "endanger" and "extinct" mean and have them look for animals that fall under those words.
  •  For an English/Language Arts assignment, have students write a story of what they would see if given the opportunity to visit Codfish Island.
  • Use the book as part of a unit on Australia and New Zealand.
  •  Learn more about the Kakapo Recovery Team by visiting their official website. (They also links where you can  view sound and video clips of the kakapo. There's even a separate page all about Sirrocco!!) Also check out the Fabulous Kakapo for even more information.

5. Book Ideas (and Keyword Tips)


For more books on endangered species, here are some recommended titles:

  • Andryszewski, Tricia. Mass Extinction: Examining the Current Crisis. Minneapolis : Twenty-First Century Books, c2008.
  • Jenkins, Steve. Almost Gone: The World's Rarest Animals. New York, NY : HarperCollins Publishers, c2006. 
  • Kalman, Bobbie. Endangered Manatees. New York, NY : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2006.( Part of the Earth's Endanger Animals series)
  •  Markle, Sandra. The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs.  Minneapolis : Milbrook Press, c2012.
 
Here are some recommended titles from the Scientists in the Field series:

  • Burns, Loree Griffith. The Hive Detectives: Chronicles of a Honey Bee Catastrophe. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, c2010.  
  • Carson, Mary Kay. The Bat Scientists. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. 
  •  Montgomery, Sy. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea.Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 
  •  Montgomery, Sy. The Tarantula Scientist.Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 
Want More? Here are a few keywords to try in your library catalog-

Endangered species-Juvenile literature
Rare birds
Birds-Conservation-Juvenile literature
Kapok-Juvenile literature


















2 comments:

  1. Super connections and ideas. You've got a great start to your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great book collection and connections! I will have to use some of these for school age programs!

    ReplyDelete