Genre: Nonfiction
Montgomery, Sy, and Nic Bishop. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot. Cookery: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-618-49417-0
Have you ever wondered about endangered animals around the world? This book captures the heart of the reader through a visit to New Zealand to help in a conservation effort to save the kakapo (KAR-ka-poe) parrot from extinction. The kakapo parrot only lives on Codfish Island off the southern tip of New Zealand. They scavenge for food at night when their predators are sleeping. These strange parrots live on the ground and cannot fly. They can also grow to weigh as much as eight pounds. The conservation efforts in New Zealand keep track of all 86 parrots that are currently living. Each kakapo has a name and wears a little backpack with a sensor for tracking purposes. The volunteer teams work to keep track of their feeding patterns as well as their breeding patterns. There is great joy when a new kakapo is born and great sadness when one dies.
Montgomery lays out the story of her visit to Codfish Island, the kakapo sanctuary. She lays out her books in chapter form even though there is no table of contents. The story flows from one subject to the next. She describes these unique birds and discusses how they almost became extinct. She describes in detail the daily routines for keeping track of and the caring for these amazing birds. Nic Bishop’s photographs reveal the beauty of not just Codfish Island but of the kakapo themselves. His photographs flow right along with Montgomery’s story of their adventure.
Other books about the Kakapo Parrot; used for references by Montgomery and Bishop:
Balance, Alison, and Gideon Climo. Hoki: The Story of a Kakapo. Random House New Zealand, 1997.
Buller, Sir Walter. A History of the Birds of New Zealand. 1888.
Butler, David. Quest for the Kakapo. Heinemann Reed, 1989.
Hutching, Gerard. Back from the Brink: The Fight to Save Our Endemic Birds. Penguin Books New Zealand, 2004.
Jones, Jenny, with photographs by Rod Morris. The Kakapo. Reed Publishing, Auckland, New Zealand, 2003.
“It’s a dramatic story of preservation attempts at the very brink of extinction, and the tension, excitement, and fragility of the situation is made crystal clear, with the team rejoicing at every gain and mourning setbacks.” -- The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books, Starred Review
“Excellent photos and a readable, conversational text provide an intimate look at a concerted effort to save a drastically endangered species unfamiliar to most of the world outside Down Under.” -- Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY, for School Library Journal
“Montgomery’s delight in her subject is contagious, and throughout her enthusiastic text, she nimbly blends scientific and historical facts with immediate, sensory descriptions of fieldwork. Young readers will be fascinated by the incredible measures that the passionate workers follow to help the new birds hatch, and many will share the team’s heartbreak when some chicks die.” -- Gillian Engberg for American Library Association’s BOOKLIST
Kakapo Rescue has also received many honors.
• Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal for the most distinguished nonfiction children's book of 2010.
• KAKAPO RESCUE has been named one of 16 finalists for the American Association for the Advance of Science's 2011 Science 'Books and Films Prizes', for Excellence in Science Books.
• KAKAPO RESCUE received a Blue Ribbon from The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books choices for the best books of 2010!
• KAKAPO RESCUE has been selected as a Kirkus Best Book of the Year 2010.
• Booklist named KAKAPO RESCUE one of the Top 10 Sci-Tech titles for Youth!
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
Websites to check out include:
According to the recovery website, as of June 3, 2011, the kakapo parrot is up to 131 in numbers.
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