Condor Comeback
Winner of the Green Earth Book Award
Sibert Medalist, National Book Award Honoree, and New York Times bestselling author Sy Montgomery turns her formidable talents to the story of California condors and the scientists who have fought against their extinction in this installment in the award-winning Scientists in the Field series.
In April of 1987 the last wild California condor was captured and taken to live in captivity like the other twenty-six remaining birds of its kind. Many thought that the days were over of of this remarkable, distinguished bird that had roamed the skies of North and Central American for thousands of years.
Sy Montgomery employs her skill for on-the-ground reporting, shrewd observation, and stunning narrative prose to detail the efforts of scientists, volunteers, and everyday citizens to get California condors back in the wild. In particular, Montgomery profiles employees at the Santa Barbara Zoo who have worked tirelessly to raise abandoned chicks, nurse sick birds back to health, and conduct research that can support legislation to ban what is probably the largest threat to the existence of the wild condor: lead bullets. In turns affectionate and frustrated, hopeful and heartbreaking, Montgomery's powerful prose does justice to these ancient, sociable, and elegant creatures.
Complete with world-class, full-color photography and helpful sidebars that provide details such as the history of the bird's fight back from extinction, the dangers of lead poisoning, and the relationship of condors to the Chumash nation, Condor Comeback is an inspiring story of groundbreaking science, perseverance, and cooperation.
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Sy Montgomery is the author of more than fifteen nonfiction books, including the New York Times bestseller How to Be a Good Creature. She has been chased by an angry silverback gorilla in Zaire and swum with piranhas and pink dolphins in the Amazon. To research her books, films, and articles, she has worked in a pit swarming with 18,000 snakes in Canada and been hunted by a tiger in India. She has hiked the Altai Mountains of Mongolia's Gobi desert in search of snow leopards and penetrated the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea to radio collar tree kangaroos. No place is too far to go to bring animals' true stories to adults and children around the world. She writes for print as well as broadcast in an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible at what she considers a critical turning point in human history.
"Hopeful news in the natural world." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A captivating introduction to the California condor." -- Booklist (starred review)
"Alongside Strombeck's crisp photographs, Montgomery details the realities of their work--from thrilling moments such as spotting a baby chick to long observation sessions where not much happens--and has a knack for evocative descriptions. Though the condor's future remains tenuous, Montgomery's compelling page-turner inspires optimism." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A story of unusual triumph for a species so close to extinction....with vivid images that range from the comic to the majestic. Youngsters will be galvanized by the possibilities of this kind of scientific work and keen to find ways to join in." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"Like many of Montgomery's nonfiction titles in the series, this recent entry does an excellent job of incorporating facts and narrative information about an animal not typically covered in stand-alone titles. The engaging call-to-action message is paired with gorgeous photographs that immerse readers in the condors' world." -- School Library Journal
"Not only entertaining but will also likely impress the whole science class." -- Shelf Awareness
