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January 2021: Sy Montgomery
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Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
(last edited Jan 01, 2021 03:20PM)
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Sy Montgomery
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Now as much as I have indeed enjoyed Sy Montgomery's Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot, I do find the use of the word strange in the title to describe the Kakapo both a bit off-putting and even potentially insulting, as for me, calling an animal species, labelling anything for that matter as strange has right from the onset a bit of negativity attached to it, and thus, it in my opinion would have been much better and less potentially stigmatising to have called the Kakapo a unique parrot and not a strange one (perhaps just a minor question of semantics, but to and for me, the Kakapo is not a weird, is not a strange, is not an uncanny, but simply a unique and very special type of bird).
Both readable and enlightening, and written in a manner that is neither too factually dry nor too dumbed down, Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot unfortunately also tends to read as massively infuriating and frustrating at times. For even though the account of how the critically endangered Kakapo species is now being protected is in and of itself generally very much positive and a tale of dedication, of perseverance (even in the face of challenges and tragic set-backs), of the glorious and appreciated truth that New Zealand is in fact actively trying to save the Kakapo from otherwise certain extinction, the inconvenient but saliently true fact of the matter absolutely remains and will always remain that the current sad plight and critically endangered status of the Kakapo is almost entirely because human activity, is due to deforestation, but also and more importantly, due to humans having introduced non endemic invasive mammal species such as rats, stoats, rabbits, cats, dogs and the like into an ecosystem that had evolved in total isolation (and without any mammals except for a few species of bats) and thus contained many flightless birds and other animals that were instinctively not used to massive predation from terrestrial mammals.
And quite frankly, while I do much appreciate that author Sy Montgomery has been pretty well and relentlessly adamant with regard to faulting humans and our activities, especially our introduction of stoats and rats into New Zealand for the Kakapo's near total demise, there really should have been a bit more harsh criticism and severe condemnation with regard to especially domestic cats and dogs, as while they are indeed mentioned as a threat to the Kakapo and other endemic New Zealand birds, personally I feel as though the former has not in any manner gone far enough (almost as if the author is somewhat worried about offending cat and dog owners, which might, I guess, be politically prudent, but saving the Kakapo and showing how both wild and domesticated non endemic mammal species have often totally decimated New Zealand's ecosystems is at least in my opinion of considerably more importance and necessity than catering to the feelings of pet owners and even farmers).
Now don't get me wrong, I have actually indeed and in fact very much much loved and appreciated my perusal of Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot. And one of my favourite chapters is the section that deals with the hand-raised male Kakapo Scirocco and that because of him having been raised by humans, he considers himself to not be a parrot but a human being, that he has imprinted on humans and thus during mating season tries to mate with humans and not Kakapo females (and while yes, the pictures of Scirocco trying to basically "shag" a human's head are perhaps amusing to a point, for one he has very sharp claws that tend to draw blood and for two a hand-raised Kakapo male refusing to mate with female Kakapos because he prefers human company is obviously also not all that conductive for producing more and desperately needed viable Kakapo chicks).
Finally, and even with my mild criticisms, I do absolutely and gladly highly recommend Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot (as both Sy Montgomery 's narrative and Nic Bishop's accompanying photographs are evocative, enlightening, and the featured Kakapo pictures even sometimes rather majorly entertaining, as Kakapos are curious, trusting, will often seemingly seek out humans and investigate human activity, and do take rather grand and spectacular photographs), with the select bibliography much academically appreciated (not very many listed books, but most of them comparatively recently published), and especially the mailing address of the New Zealand Kakapo Recovery Program (and how readers can help with financial donations) is very much both an added (and in my humble opinion necessary) bonus, as these types of animal species recovery missions all cost money (an incubator costs $800.00), and as author Sy Montgomery has stated, every donation, no matter how small, helps.
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I enjoyed this, and felt heartened that the rescue is having a positive effect.
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I enjoyed this, and felt heartened that the rescue is having a positive effect."
I do hope that covid 19 has not had a negative effect because the kakapos still require constant care and support.
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I rated it 5 stars and wrote: Fascinating look at an unusual flightless parrot that lives on only one small island near New Zealand, and which devoted volunteers are trying to rescue from extinction.
One can also see these cute parrots on several YouTube videos with Stephen Fry.
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This is excellent non-fiction writing for older kids, probably around 5th grade and older. It is part of the "Scientists in the Field" series. It has some excellent photos of great whites, as the scientist and his helpers go out in a boat to videotape and tag great white sharks, with the author and photographer tagging along.
One page is titled: "Sharks by the Numbers" and includes these interesting factoids:
Number of Americans killed by shark bite between 1984 and 1987: 4
Number of New Yorkers bitten by humans during the same period: nearly 1600
Number of Americans injured by toilets in one year (1996): 43,000
Number of Americans injured by buckets and pails in the same period: 11,000
Number of Americans injured by room fresheners in same year: 2,600
Number of Americans injured by sharks during same time frame: 13
Includes a bibliography, web resources, and an index.
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I rated it 5 stars and wrote: Fascinating look at an unusual flightless parrot that lives on only one small island near New Zealand, and which devoted volunteers are trying to rescue ..."
Those Stephen Fry videos are both informative and hilarious. I love the one where Scirocco the human imprinted male kakapo is basically “shagging” Stephen Fry’s head.
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Yeah, so do I!
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Yeah, so do I!"
Actually, if you can get your hand on the entire TV series, Last Chance to See, I do indeed highly recommend it.
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So to a certain point, I guess that technically speaking, The Octopus Scientist: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusc could maybe still be considered as a picture book (as there of course is a specific combination of text and images, of Sy Montgomery's printed words and Keith Ellenbogen's accompanying photographs). However, I for one would in fact rather label The Octopus Scientist: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusc as a sparsely but enlighteningly illustrated and also rather text-heavy science and zoology themed textbook for older children from about the age of ten onwards and as such not so much as something for the so-called picture book crowd, as a book suitable to and for younger children.
And yes, in my humble opinion, The Octopus Scientist: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusc is indeed also very much suitable for interested teenagers and adults, since Sy Montgomery most definitely presents an absolute and informative plethora of interesting information and knowledge about molluscs in general and in particular featuring the fact that especially octopods and squid are incredibly intelligent, that they have their own personalities, that they engage in problem solving, that they are able to lastingly recognise individual people and are also curious but at the same time and equally total masters of disguise (and thus also very difficult to study in their natural habitats, in the ocean).
A wonderfully informative reading and learning experience The Octopus Scientist: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusc has been for me (and indeed, even as an educated adult with advanced university degrees, much of the presented and featured details about octopuses was and remains relatively novel information to and for me). And yes, I do therefore and without reservations very highly recommend The Octopus Scientist: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusc and indeed for both in-class and at home use (and really, most of the Scientists in the Field books I have so far encountered have been total treasure troves of knowledge), with my only and indeed very much minor complaints being that I do wish the bibliography at the back featured more included tomes and that in the Kindle edition of The Octopus Scientist: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusc, Keith Ellenbogen's photographs appear rather too small for my personally aesthetics (and that in my opinion, this also kind of might have the tendency to focus attention away from them, to make the photographs appear a trifle insignificant and sometimes as rather visually blurry and lacking in detail).
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Inspiring to anyone, on the spectrum or just quirky... or neuro-typical. Enlightening and enjoyable for ages 8 to 88. Whether you read for a biography report for school, because you're interested in autism, or because you're interested in animal welfare or in inventions, you'll find stories and pictures here to satisfy. If you actually are autistic, you might love the blueprints of her cattle handling chutes, or benefit from her advice in the appendix.
Of note - a key factor in her success is her wisdom to know how to get help to get things done. Even in school, she didn't scorn well-meaning teachers the way so many characters in YA novels do, but rather took advantage of their offers. For example, it was her science teacher, Mr. Carlock, who helped her develop the squeeze machine. Be like Temple, a real person, not like those angsty imaginary teens in the melodramatic novels.
message 14:
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Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
(last edited Jan 06, 2021 07:23AM)
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This brief story in picture book format is based on a real octopus, who was caught in a lobster trap (after eating the lobster), and transported to a New Zealand aquarium, where he lived for an unspecified amount of time. (view spoiler) I thought it was fascinating that Inky, as the aquarium staff called him, loved to play with Legos and a Mr. Potato Head. The author's endnote tells a bit more about Inky and octopuses in general. There is also a page of "8 Fun Octopus Facts," a brief bibliography, and some websites. The mixed media collages did a great job of depicting Inky's story.
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This is a picture book adaptation of her adult memoir How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals.
This interesting children's book briefly tells of some of the things she learned from animals she interacted with, such as discovering passions, respecting others, waiting patiently, etc. Her thoughtful lessons were learned by observing or interacting with emus, gorillas, tigers, pigs, tarantulas, octopuses, and others. The text is accompanied by appealing illustrations by Rebecca Green. Children who love animals may be inspired by Montgomery's musings. I liked this book enough that I put the adult memoir on hold.
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"Saving the cheetah is about more than one species, one country, one type of science. It's about antelopes and bird, leopards and giraffes, soil and trees, dogs and goats. It's about chemistry and genetics, veterinary medicine and ecology...."
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I read the book a couple of years ago and thought it was outstanding.
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Cheryl, you mentioned that her books are good for all ages? When I was looking in the library catalog most of the picture books said "middle school" so I was just curious if by "all ages" you mean even for very young like kindergarten? As I said, I probably won't get to much this month but it's good to know my kids might be ready for them sooner than later.
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I would say that the two books I read by her, The Octopus Scientists: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk and Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot are with regard to textual complexity more suitable for children above the age of eight or nine.
message 23:
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Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
(last edited Jan 24, 2021 05:09PM)
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Well of course it depends on how thoroughly one goes through the book. What I mean is that younger children can get a *lot* out of sitting with a parent, looking at the pictures, listening to the parent read parts of the text that are especially interesting. The text is well organized to make it easy to pick and choose the most interesting bits.
But yes, if a child is expected to read every word by himself, probably not for under age nine.
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Inky and Becoming a Good Creature are definitely fine for preschool and kindergarten, with a parent reading to the child.
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Btw, Montgomery claims that very few people have any idea what tapirs actually are. Well hmm... I did... I wonder where I learned about 'em.
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Well, the series does follow a pattern; I have found every one that I have read pretty fascinating.
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I also know what tapirs are and I wonder if Montgomery is not being a bit generalising when she claims that most people do not know.
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Yes, I'm quite familiar with them, too.
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Readers join Montgomery, Dr. Richard Estes, and others on a safari to find and follow the wildebeests of the Serengeti. On this fascinating journey, readers learn that the wildebeest migration is a year-round, clockwise journey, as they circle the Serengeti, following the rain and the freshest growing grasses. On the way, safari members meet not only wildebeests, but also zebras, elands, ostriches, Thompson's gazelles, Grant's gazelles, lions, hyenas, dwarf mongooses, olive baboons, giraffes, hippos, elephants, impalas, oryxes, hyraxes, cheetahs, leopards, dik-diks, tsetse flies, colobus monkeys, vultures, rhinos, klipspringers, and more. In between the chapters about the safari, are informational essays, several on other animal migrations, such as the migrations of arctic terns, sardines, Christmas Island red crabs, and others. Magnificent photographs, large and small, are spread throughout the pages. The book concludes with a selected bibliography, an index, and suggestions for getting involved. Montgomery's book was on at least two best book lists: 2019 Booklist Editor's Choice and 2019 Kirkus Best Books. For independent reading, I would say this was for about age 10 (very good readers) and older. It is much longer than the Scientist in the Field series books, so while younger children might enjoy looking at the photos, it would be difficult to pick out text to read to them.
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Well, the series does follow a pattern; I have found every one that i have read pretty fascinating."
Beverly, you're right again. I am finding myself unable to skim. The scientists, the local citizens, the ecology itself, all is so fascinating that I find myself reading instead of skimming. And I haven't even met the tapirs yet!
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This one is also an entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series. Montgomery tags along with scientists as they observe California condors in the wild. They observe in a couple of ways: they hike out close to where condors nest and view them through a telescope; or they watch the nests, in which cameras have been placed, on computer monitors. A lot of information on condors is shared, including how scientists have worked to increase their numbers, what they do to help the population grow, and how they educate the public about condors. The book concludes with a list of ways people can help, a bibliography, a list of websites, and an index. Excellent book about this bird species.
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This one is also an entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series. Montgomery tags along with scientists as they observe California condors in the wild. They observe..."
Have not had a chance to read this, but am wondering whether the author also mentions how dangerous lead bullets (from hunting) can be for birds.
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Hyenas are not related to dogs, but rather the three hyenas and the aardwolf are their own family.
They have a very matriarchal society, to the point that the small cubs of a high-ranking female are dominant to a high-ranking male.
They have clan wars. Lions kill them, even though they sometimes benefit from hyena kills (hyenas can eat a very large chunk of prey at one sitting, but a whole antelope is too much).
"Like many of the characters in the Bible, Masai men often marry several women."
"Hyenas love this calorie-rich, healthy food [powdered milk] so she uses it to teach the cubs to approach her research vehicles (which they can tell from other cars)...."
Another excellent entry in the Scientists in the Field series.
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This one is also an entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series. Montgomery tags along with scientists as they observe California condors in the wi..."
Oh yes! She does go into some detail about how lead bullets are killing not only condors, but other animals as well. And she does talk about California banning lead ammunition. She also talks about how micro trash is killing condors.
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This one is also an entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series. Montgomery tags along with scientists as they observe California..."
Thanks, I do want to find a copy of this.
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This brief story in picture book format is based on a real octopus, who was caught in a lobster trap (after eating..."
We really enjoyed this one. Kids asked for a second read. I did kind of wish there was a teensy bit more information in the book itself as to how exactly people knew where Inky had escaped to --did he have some sort of identification and was later found? Tracking? I didn't feel it covered this. (I looked it up online and, per National Geographic, that the keepers were able to figure out where Inky went by following his slime trail from his tank to the drain pipe.) I also felt it was a bit of a stretch to assume that Inky was completely happy in his enclosure and only escaped out of curiosity. That may be, and certainly I hope that was the case, but since he had been a wild octopus, it also seemed like maybe we shouldn't assume he was completely happy with life in captivity. Still, overall, this is a fun, interesting and informative read and has many things going for it. I love the moment where the lobster-man finds Inky and says, "What have we here?" and Inky, seeing a human for the first time, thinks the same thing ;-) Also amazing to think that an octopus could put LEGO blocks together!
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As the author of eco mysteries and eco adventures for kids and teens I couldn’t agree more with Montgomery’s statement. “We are on the cusp of either destroying this sweet, green Earth—or revolutionizing the way we understand the rest of animate creation,” she says. “It’s an important time to be writing about the connections we share with our fellow creatures.” Sy Montgomery.
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Good point, sadly true but necessary to mention, and the earlier we get children interested in protecting the environment, the better!
Yes, indeed. We need to start early and then keep offering books at every age level that foster a love of nature that, hopefully, will inspire our next generation of wise conservationists.
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Yup, start early but make even the books for younger children also interesting for parents, teachers etc. as while we definitely have to make children care about environmental protection, there is as much and perhaps at times even more of a need to reach adults and to get them interested or reinterested
message 43:
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Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
(last edited Feb 12, 2021 09:19AM)
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Best for ppl who haven't already read all the Scientist in the Field books and others like Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, or people who don't read much at all. Especially middle school students who want to impress their teacher that they finally read a 'real' book.
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A coffee table book for ages 9-99 about all sorts of migrations, focused on Sy's quest to find the wildebeest's most massive conglomerations. She and her friends & colleagues learned why the animals are unpredictable, and in the course of their trip learned so much more about zebras, cheetahs, several kinds of vultures, etc, etc. And took lots of wonderful pictures... and then came home and wrote it up so we could learn, too.
Reading this book is almost as educational, but far more comfortable, than being on safari.
It is not a Scientists in the Field book, so no animals were darted or tagged.
We did learn that poachers are still one of the biggest immediate threats. The wire snares they set are terrorizing.
Thanks for your recommendation — Sy Montgomery is always fascinating. Animal migration whether of birds, insects, or mammals is an awesome phenomenon. It illuminates that animals know no man-made borders in their instinctual urge to survive. There’s a beauty in the rhythm of migration, which follows the natural seasons of planet Earth, but also a desperate side to it, as thousands of animals die along the migration routes, I’ve just published an eco adventure about impact of wildfires, driven by climate change, on all living creatures. Surely the rhythm of migration will be impact animal migration, too.
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Even though I don't have kids, I will try to find Talking to Fireflies, Shrinking the Moon: Nature Activities for All Ages. Point a small flashlight at the ground. When you see a firefly blink, wait two seconds, blink your flashlight once. Continue 'talking' and the firefly will land on your hand. (We'll see if that's true in a few months.)
Children, esp. age 5-7, "have incredible powers of observation." Give them a leaf to examine in detail, then blindfold the child, put the leaf in a pile, and see them be able to pick out the leaf they had examined.
Violets, including stems, are edible; try them on a cream cheese sandwich. Dandelions are even more edible than I realized, root compared to parsnip, I'll google for more ideas.
Dragonflies wings are flat, damselflies wings angle 'like a fairy's.'
Extensive selected bibliography is included, but not tied to essays, more like 'for further reading.' And I'm sure I will find books in that list that I will want to read.
I would have loved this when I was a 'tween.
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I thoroughly enjoyed these often humorous, heart-warming, and sometimes heart-wrenching stories of various pets and wild animals with which Sy Montgomery has interacted. After the last chapter, there are several pages of black and white photos of Sy and various of the animals. This book was written for adults, but a tween or teen who is an animal lover and a good reader would be able to read and enjoy this book. One caveat: in the chapter "Tess", about her beloved border collie, after Tess passed away, Montgomery admitted to having suicidal thoughts. She goes on at some length about this. So parents who would not want their kiddos reading that section should take warning.
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The adult book is written as a memoir, and is very personal, so a different writing style than the book for children.
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This book is based on a two week trip Montgomery made to a lodge on the Amazon, from which she took canoe trips looking for the dolphins. She also made several more trips to Brazil and Peru while researching material for her adult book: Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest.
In Encantado, she explains how difficult it is to catch site of the pink dolphins, because the water of the rivers and lakes they live in so cloudy and dense with rotting vegetation. She describes jumping into the water from the canoe, and when she ducked her head under, she could not even see her feet. She also writes about the scientists that she interviewed, and local Amazonian residents who helped her out. She describes many species of animals and plants that are unique to the rainforest. She discusses the problems of deforestation and overfishing. The area that she went to, however, has been set aside as a preserve, run by and protected by the local residents. In the back matter, she gives the addresses and websites of a couple of conservation organizations, statistics of the Amazon, weird whale facts, a bibliography, and an index. The amount of text and number of pages make this book suitable for older children, about 10 and up; it is comparable to a "Scientists in the Field" title, although it is not part of that series. Illustrated with lots of beautiful photographs, this is a fascinating foray into the rainforest.
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In this sweet story based on true events, a herring gull initiated a friendship with the captain of a family schooner, which was used to give sight seeing trips to tourists of Gloucester Harbor. The captain tossed an oyster cracker to the gull, who caught it. The gull would show up on the boat several times a week, until the boat was put away for the winter and the gull flew south. This friendship has continued on for almost a decade now. The text is short enough and simple enough for primary students to read on their own. The appealing illustrations follow the story perfectly. Additional information about gulls is in the back matter.
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Book of Turtles (other topics)The Seagull and the Sea Captain (other topics)
The Seagull and the Sea Captain (other topics)
Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon (other topics)
Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rebecca Green (other topics)Sy Montgomery (other topics)
Her latest book is Condor Comeback.
Montgomery's website: http://symontgomery.com/