Ages 7-12
Starred PW Review: "...Pattison writes crisply and evocatively."
The oldest wild bird in the world faced yet another danger when the Japanese Tsunami struck Midway Island where she lives. This is Wisdom's astounding story of survival of manmade and natural disasters for over 60 years. She has survived the dangers of living wild, plastic pollution, longline fishing, lead poisoning, and the Japanese earthquake.
At 65+ years old, she's still alive and still laying eggs and hatching chicks.
Darcy Pattison's Wisdom, the Midway Albatross inspires young scientists and nature lovers with a true story of an individual animal in an easy to read format with captivating illustrations. It's the first of a series of fascinating animal biographies for elementary readers.
You'll be awed and inspired as you read this amazing story of survival and hope amidst the difficulties of life. As you read it, think of this majestic albatross soaring over the deep blue sea, wild and free.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS BOOK:
"It's marvelous! I LOVE it! And I got a lump in my throat, tears! And I'm a biologist! Your book is beautiful, meaningful, simple, elegant.........thank you for caring, thank you for sharing this story!" Kim Rivera, National Seabird Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries, Deputy ARA, Protected Resources Division, Alaska Region
"Wisdom's story makes my heart soar." Kirby Larson, author of Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival and Winner of the Newbery Honor for Hattie Big Sky.
"On December 10, 1956, early in my first visit to Midway, I banded 99 incubating Laysan Albatrosses in the 'downtown' area of Sand Island, Midway. Wisdom (band number 587-51945) is still alive, healthy, and incubating again in December 2011. While I have grown old and gray and get around only with the use of a cane, Wisdom still looks and acts just the same as on the day I banded her. . . remarkable true story. . . beautifully illustrated in color." Chandler S. Robbins, Sc.D, Senior Scientist (Retired), USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.
Autorentext
Published in nine languages, Darcy Pattison's middle grade novels include: Saucy and Bubba: A Hansel and Gretel Tale; The Girl, the Gypsy and the Gargoyle; and The Wayfinder. Recent nature books for children include: Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub, a 2015 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book; Wisdom, the Midway Albatross, a Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly; Desert Baths (Arbordale), a 2013 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book; and, Prairie Storms (Arbordale). Her series, The ALIEN, INC. CHAPTER BOOK SERIES includes Kell, the Alien; Kell and the Horse Apple Parade; Kell and the Giants; and Kell and the Detectives. For more, see darcypattison.com/about
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WISDOM, THE MIDWAY ALBATROSS: Surviving the Japanese Tsunami and Other Dangers for Over 60 Years
by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Kitty Harvill
***Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly***
Wisdom, the Midway Albatross-the oldest bird in the world-hatched a new chick in 2011, and two months later, the Japanese tsunami struck. Surviving manmade and natural disasters for over 60 years, Wisdom has braved living wild, plastic pollution, longline fishing, lead poisoning, and the Japanese earthquake.
In this "Biography in Text and Art," Harvill takes original photos as references to create accurate wildlife illustrations. These aren't generic birds, but one particular individual in detail. Pattison's careful research, vetted by scientists in the field, brings to life this this true story of an infant cub that must face a complicated world alone-and find a way to survive.
Banded Since 1951
On December 10, 1951, ornithologist Chandler Robbins banded 25 birds on Midway Island. One of those was Wisdom. She's been caught and given new bands seven times. There are older birds in captivity; there are probably older birds that didn't get banded. But Wisdom is the oldest known, wild bird in the world.