Birds Books

As my daughter was reading this the other night she remarked that this is by far the best one yet in the series - we highly recommend it.

Exile is awsome! If anything, it's a little bloody, though. I was so sure it was going to be the last book-but don't be. The last chapter guarantees there will be another book. Nyra is not yet dead.In fact, Exile has little to do with Nyra. It's mostly about the Striga burning owls. I found it a little disappointing that Tengshu didn't kill the Striga. Overall, it was a good book. Not as good as the River of Wind, though.

Riveting. Read it the same day I got it. Eagerly awaiting the next one in the series.

Lots of action. I like these weird blue owls from the middle kingdom because it introduces weirdness. Also, I like the idea of The Striga (Blue owl from the middle kingdom; member of the dragon court who were formerly hagsfiends) somehow being completely opposite to "vanity" and thinks there should be none of it. (I don't like the idea)

La Fevers has created a beautiful story with Wat and his falcons. My children were so enchanted that we read it twice in a week. That is almost unheard of in our home. The descriptions of Wat and his baby falcons were vivid and touching. The themes of rejection and redemption were moving. The idea of a boy coming into his own was touching. Really, I can't say enough good about this book!!

I am a mom who is taking dictation from my son, Connor. We read this book together and I secretly loved it as much as him!

"It was one of my favorite books in the world. Even though Wat had disabilities, he had even more special ABILITIES. His disabilities made him strong, and gave him a heartfelt sense of justice. I don't want to give the story away, but in the end Wat did something I have always wanted to do! You have to read this story to find out what. His love for falcons was amazing".

This book was GREAT!! The storyline had me trapped from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the way magic worked in La Fevers' world. I love stories that focus on nature, animals, and magic, and with this story's medieval setting, this book was a perfect match. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book had a falcon-like hold on me from its galloping start to the deeply satisfying ending. One wonders if author R.L. LaFevers hasn't swallowed whole a young medieval boy who now channels through her. This story works on so many levels-- it has universal appeal in its classic battle of the archetypes, and Wat, with his physical challenges, is an unlikely but noble hero.
Wat and the old wizard Griswold call up the imperfect best in all of us. This is an amazing first novel. Call me a fantasy convert.

I became aware of this book through an article Hemingway wrote about books he would like to read twice. Well I can say that this book is best read in the winter, for it will melt the snow in puddles around your shoe, and warm your heart and soul at the same time. So make haste and buy it now, while the cold winds still blow.

The Argentine pampas was a land of freedom and excitement: one literary figurehead W.H. Hudson describes in his memoir FAR AWAY & LONG AGO: A CHILDHOOD IN ARGENTINA. Descriptions of natural history and wildlife abound - and also of politics and interpersonal relationships of the times. You'd think FAR AWAY & LONG AGO would give insights into Hudson's childhood and life - and it does - but more importantly it recreates the history, culture and geography of Argentina in a way few travel books accomplish.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As we continue to pave over the beauties of our world and turn them into concrete wastelands, it is good to think back what life was like 150 years ago before we began the process of destruction in earnest.

W. H. Hudson, the naturalist, is revered in Argentina, where they refer to him as Guillermo Enrique Hudson and name streets and towns after him. In simple and stately prose, he writes about his boyhood as one of several sons in an English family that ran an estancia on the Pampas. Despite several failed attempts to school him, he managed to pick up one of the best educations available: by using his eyes and ears to study nature. His skill in language, which is considerable, came from reading his father's books on his own.

Whether writing about ombu trees, plovers, snakes, lightning storms, rheas (Argentinian ostriches), or his neighboring ranchers, Hudson brought a whole world to life with this book.

Hudson published FAR AWAY AND LONG AGO in 1917 while he was living in England -- around the same time that a Frenchman named Marcel Proust was following where that elusive taste of madeleines led him in REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST, and around the same time that World War I was destroying a whole way of life. As he writes in the book:

"It is difficult, impossible I am told, for any one to recall his boyhood exactly as it was. It could not have been what it seems to the adult mind, since we cannot escape from what we are, however great our detachment may be; and in going back we must take our present selves with us: the mind has taken a different colour, and this is thrown back upon our past. The poet has reversed the order of things when he tells us that we come trailing clouds of glory, which melt away and are lost as we proceed on our journey. The truth is that unless we belong to the order of those who crystallize or lose their souls on their passage, the clouds gather about us as we proceed, and as cloud-compellers we travel on to the very end."

FAR AWAY AND LONG AGO is perhaps one of the greatest autobiographies ever written. Although I finished reading it several days ago, I am still feeling its afterglow and get this itch to re-read passages from it. This is, indeed, a book that will withstand several readings.

I could never make it through Hudson's fantasy __Green Mansions__, but __Far Away and Long Ago__ is another book altogether. Written when Hudson was approaching eighty, more than forty years after he had left Argentina for good, it's filled with the kind of longing you might expect. And even though he's a witness to the mid-nineteenth civil wars in Argentina or, more incredibly still, listens to travelers reciting poems by the eighteenth-century Spaniard Menéndez Valdés, Hudson seems modern; he makes other times, other places, far away and long ago, as he calls them, seem incredibly near.

Hudson's excellent short story "El Ombú" is also well worth seeking out. And, finally, while it's true Hudson left Argentina for England, the US also has some claim to him; it was from New England, after all, that, shortly before his birth, his American family left for Argentina. Just thought I'd make that clear, since people are always calling him "Anglo-Argentine".

It has a lot of good information on poaching in North Africa and a lot of other places in the world that elephants were poached at. It really makes you see the world like an elephant as though you were an elephant. it brings out your greatest fantasies about elephants that you would never dream of. This book was just really great.

While Douglas H. Chadwick's extraordinary book is titled "The Fate of the Elephant" and does an incredible job of presenting the decidedly bleak future of this magnificent animal in the face of an incredible human-induced onslaught, it does more than just examine that issue. At its heart, this book is about the fate of the "natural world"; that is, the world as it was/is before it has been shaped by human contact. The explosion in the human population is increasingly reducing and destroying the habitat of not just elephants, but other animal species in general, and Chadwick recognizes this. Chadwick's book is thoroughly researched, decidedly well-written, and a joy to read. As stated by another reviewer, as clear as it is that Chadwick's sympathies lie with the elephant itself, he shows remarkable restraint in not condemning those who make the future of the elephant so bleak. As such, the book makes the reader realize that while it is quite easy to sit in our comfortable homes and condemn those who are forcing these elephants into fewer and fewer numbers, there are real problems and concerns on the other side of the coin as well. Without stealing any of the author's thunder, I would just say that this is easily one of the best books I have ever read, and while my sympathies are definitely on the side of the elephants, this book was a sobering and tremendously informative look at the full scope of the problem that elephants and animal species in general face. Furthermore, the best thing this book did, in my opinion, was force me to really think about humankind, its relationship to the other species on the planet, how certain dominant views of that relationship have led us to the where we are today, and what might need to be done in order to prevent large scale extinctions in this upcoming century (which is where I personally fear we might be headed).

Incredibly detailed reporting and an easy, conversational writing style make this one of the most rewarding books I have ever read. The author writes of travelling the world, observing human and elephant interactions in dozens of different countries; part travelogue, part eco-primer, and wholly absorbing. And Chadwick makes a convincing case for keeping the African elephant on the endangered species list. This book is perhaps even more important now than when it was published _ only recently CITES (the UN group that makes the endangered species list) decided to allow some southern African countries to sell ivory again. I'd love to see the author's thoughts on these new developments. Anyone concerned with conservation or animal welfare should read this book. Personally, I found Chadwick's work so interesting and educational that after reading it I booked a trip to Africa to see these great beasts _ before the opportunity is gone forever

In a mere 475 pages, Douglas Chadwick's The Fate of the Elephant manages to thoroughly cover a range of subjects almost as large as the elephants that serve as its focus. Originally assigned by National Geographic as a piece on "elephants of the world," each chapter in the book opens in a new setting, from the elephant enclosure at an American zoo, to the parts of Africa and Asia where elephants can still be found in the wild. From the workshop of Japanese ivory artisans to a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference in Switzerland, he also journeys to elephantless areas where their presence is still felt.

Knowing a little about man's history with elephants, I assumed-even daresay expected-that at least some parts of the book would be dedicated to the kind of finger-pointing induction of guilt that has come to be seen as a means to inspire action on the part of the general public. Refreshingly, there is none of that to be found here, yet the final emotions that the reader comes away with are no less strong. Chadwick does not trivialize the fact that, for him, writing The Fate of the Elephant was as much a personal exploration of a subject of lifetime interest as a travel adventure undertaken for the sake of National Geographic. His frankly portrayed moments of sheer joy and of utter frustration become highs and lows for the reader as well.

Along these same lines, Chadwick skillfully avoids simplifying those engaged in the struggle over what should be done with elephants into "good guy" and "bad guy" camps. Though having just seen the body of a faceless and bloody young bull elephant lying in the bush, he does not celebrate when reports of killed poachers come across his radio. Likening poaching to the illegal drug trade, he knows that the crises of a burgeoning population have pushed many of those living on the margins into these high-risk jobs, while those orchestrating it all sit out of the way in relative safety. The ever-growing human population also drives habitat degradation, the other main threat to African wildlife. It comes as a shot of realism when Chadwick points out that these days, even Africans have to go to parks and zoos to see African wildlife.

Describing the World War I bolt-action guns with which many park rangers must ridiculously face off against AK-47-toting poachers, Chadwick highlights one of the great challenges to wildlife conservation: economics. Not only does poaching rob resources from local economies, but even legal industries such as tourism pay few monetary returns at the local level. He advocates the need to make conservation economically viable to local people, not just something imposed by the government of the moment.

Chadwick integrates scientific concepts in a subtle way that guarantees that even those simply looking for a good "animal tale" will come away as more knowledgeable armchair naturalists. Judging from the brevity of his bibliography relative to the amount of material packed into the book, this integrated approach may be the same way that Chadwick picked up much of his technical knowledge of elephants-not by purely poring over scientific texts as much as by living alongside some of the best in the field, in the field.

The only missing element in Chadwick's work seems to be information about the time period in which he was in each place. While perhaps intended as a testament to the timeless quality of life spent in elephants' presence, it seemed most peculiar in a book whose message was a sense of urgency, that time was of the utmost importance.

As an avid reader of picture books, I knew by the title alone I would love this book, and author Marsha Hayles Scheiber doesn't disappoint. The first page makes you want to turn the page: The mother birds/like gentle words/took flight one wintry day... Her words are so soft and soothing and lyrical, this not only makes a great Christmas gift, but also a lullaby of a bedtime story. After a long flight, the birds reach "At last warm land, a sea of sand..." where a baby who will change the world is about to be born, Jesus. The mother birds build the child a soft nest, hence "the feathered crown." I get chills when I read this book. The illustrations by Bernadette Pons are a perfect match for the text: soft, soothing, child-friendly. This is one of my favorite books, a gem of a book.

By giving us a bird's eye-view, THE FEATHERED CROWN takes a unique and touching look at the Nativity story. Hayles gentle, alliterative rhyme soars, as each stanza rises in meter. Pons soft watercolors compliment the text and are restful to the eye. Lines like, "They gathered bits/ of straw and sticks,/ and leaves to cushion best--/To build a home,/a manger throne,/a feather-softened nest." depict how loving mother birds may have helped another mother long ago in Bethleham. A bright addition to every Holiday collection!

This is the most beautiful Christmas picture book that I've seen in a long time. The soft and meaningful words flow across the pages like ribbons of silk - and are delicious to read out loud. It's good to see a Christmas book that touchs on the true meaning of the holyday.

I think Feathered Crown is a wondeful children's book. It is a lovely story, and the words flow so well. "The mother birds, like gentle words, took wing one wintry day." These gentle words are then further complemented by beautiful pictures. Feathered Crown is one of my family's favorite Christmas books.

I visit Taiwan at least once a year, and always make it a point to do as much birding as possible. The main problem I have faced in the past has been finding a good English language field guide. I have always used James Wan-Fu Chang's "Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan" (ISBN-13: 978-0917056437), and Wu Sen-Hsiong's "A Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan" (ISBN 957-9578-00-1). Both books are very good, and highly recommended. However, each has its drawbacks. The main one being that both are written in Chinese, although Chang's guide does have very brief descriptions of range, habitat and status in English. In addition, both books are a bit out-dated.

The MacKinnon & Phillips guide addresses these drawbacks. For starters, it is written entirely in English. The paintings are generally of high quality, and differences between subspecies are indicated. Range maps are also shown on the page facing the paintings. The descriptions of many (but not all) species are fairly well detailed, and the ranges for subspecies is also described.

The guide does have some minor problems, which are probably unavoidable. Because of the large geographical size of the area covered, and the number of species described (over 1300), the guide is quite bulky - and somewhat expensive. In addition, the descriptions are in the back of the guide, rather than on the page adjacent to the paintings, making it somewhat inconvenient to use. As I have alluded above, some of the species descriptions, particularly those of the Taiwan endemics, seemed to have been glossed over (perhaps to save space in an already sizable guide). And although most of the paintings are of high quality, not all were. Overall, I think they are slightly inferior to those of the Wu guide. That being said, no field guide is perfect. Putting a field guide together requires a lot of patience and a great deal of hard work. I, for one, really appreciate the dedication and effort of the authors.

All in all, this is the best field guide to the birds of China available. I would highly recommend this guide.

This field guide is a well done book introducing the birds of China to its readers. It is fairly standard as far as field guides goes in content. The book contains 128 color plates depicting the birds of China with the corresponding range maps opposite the plates. Next, the descriptions of the 1329 species are given. Herein lies the major problem with the book, the descriptions are not adjacent to the plates; however, had the book been arranged in this manner, the number of pages would have at least doubled and the book is already a bit cumbersome for use as a field guide at its present size.

A couple of other bits of useful information in this book include a map detailing vegetation type and an introduction to the region. Also, a list of protected and endangered species is included. For researchers, a nice bibliography is also included. Whether you just want to look at birds from a country you never plan on going to, or if you intend to go birding in China, this book is for you.

This book is absolutely essential for any birder who plans to visit any of the regions covered in this guide. The plates are very good and the descriptions are detailed. This is probably the most up-to-date guide for the region. The taxonomy is based on Sibley and Monroe, and nearly all subspecies and their ranges are listed. There is even an edition in simplified Chinese available in China and Hong Kong. However, covering such a broad region has its drawbacks, and at least in Taiwan, I recommend that this book be used more as a reference than field guide. A bird's voice often varies across its range, and the status of a species in one location can be completely different in another. For example, the White-bellied Green Pigeon, described by the book as "very rare," is in fact common in Taiwan. The quality of the plates is sometimes inconsistent (e.g. the geese and swans on plate 7 look very small!). Also, errors I've noticed include where the range map does not correspond with the descriptions (e.g. Eurasian Jay, plate 67), the bird number on the plate does not correspond with that of the range map and descriptions (e.g. Varied Tit, plate 88), and some typos (e.g. Pygmy Wren Babbler subspecies, plate 105). Although Appendix 2 lists the species endemic to the region, it left out at least three species from Taiwan (Yellow Tit, Collared Bush Robin, and Taiwan Whistling Thrush). In general, this book is excellent and highly recommended, but I do hope a new edition will be published in the future that fixes the errors and include new discoveries made since publication (e.g. Chinese Crested Tern, Taiwan Bush Warbler).

A Field Guide to the Birds of China is a must for any traveler who wants to identify birds in China. De Schauensee's earlier Birds of China is not really a field guide although it provides useful background reading. A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan includes a lot of the species occurring in eastern China, and the Beijing area is included in most of the range maps, so if you don't have the MacKinnon-Phillips new guide, this is second best.

All species of known regular occurrence somewhere in China are illustrated in excellent drawings by Karen Phillips, all but a few in full color. Colored range maps are on the page facing each of the 128 plates. The text for each species provides a detailed description, voice, distribution and status, habits (useful), and in some cases a note on taxonomy.

I used this book for more than two weeks in China during October 2001 and confidently identified every bird I got a decent look at. (Regrettably, eastern China is not exactly overrun with exotic birds, but you can find some interesting species even in the cities.)

The most noticeable problem with this book is its sheer bulk; at 256 pages of plates, 586 pages of text, and some front material, this monster tops out at well over 800 pages and won't fit in most fanny packs, not to mention pockets. So taking a utility knife with a new blade, I sliced the spine following the last plate and taped the last page to the spine, creating a book of front matter, 10 pages of introduction and all the plates and range maps--a tad over a third the thickness of the whole book. A few species are illustrated in black-and-white in the text, so I xeroxed those (with their black-and-white range maps) and pasted them below the range maps of appropriate plates. I left the text home.

The book is not without minor errors, of course. For example, the range maps on plate 35 mistakenly call the Red Phalarope the Red-necked Phalarope, with the same error in the scientific name (although, curiously, the Chinese name appears to be correct). Both species are illustrated. On plate 56 the illustration of the Red-throated Loon is mistakenly marked with the species number of the Common Loon (which is also illustrated and correctly numbered on the same plate). On plate 72 the female Japanese Paradise-flycatcher is so marked but the symbol for the male is missing. Most users can figure out such slips.

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My 15 month old LOVES this book. Checked it out of the library and this was an instant favorite which was then purchased. She loves to point out the turtles and frogs and everything going on with the illustrations. Great to help her with her vocabulary.

My 17mo old DD absolutely loves this book! We got it out at the library and read it at least 3-5 times a day. Definitely adding it to her wish list for Christmas. We alternate between reading and singing, plus have DD help by doing the duck calls. Highly recommended book!

I checked this book out from the library because my son, who's 16 months old, loves ducks (go figure?). Anyway, he absolutely loves this book and it has been read daily for the past couple months. Be warned, however, that the book works best if song and with various hand motions. (Note: being in tune optional.) After renewing it from the library three times, I thought I should purchase one for Will to own, and I highly recommend others purchase it for toddlers with duck fascinations.

I used this book to introduce subtraction to my first grade class. As each duckling disappeared, we wrote subtraction sentences to correspond with the page. The children loved the adorable illustrations and the "hidden" ducklings! It was a great way to help children understand the concept of beginning subtraction.

I tend to choose my books from the library mainly based on the strength of the illustrations and only casually flip through the text, checking that the message of the book isn't one I find offensive. I save the really juicy task of reading the books cover to cover for when I get home. This book, both during the flip-through and the first reading alone, didn't really appeal -- but I found when I went to share it with my daughter that in reading aloud this story comes alive! There are only a few words on each page but, since the text is the thoughts inside Fledgling's head as she ventures out into the city on her own, flying for the first time, you really feel that you are taking the flight alongside her. The urban scenery is detailed and realistic although my daughter, never having been on the subway, missed most of the action when the inhabitants of the subway car frantically try to shoo away the confused and frightened bird. The story also has a reassuring message; when Fledgling realizes she doesn't know where home is, she hears the sound of her family calling her and returns safely. This is a fantastic book for any nature lover, or to teach your child about some of the wildlife that has made our cities their home.

Fledgling witnesses a falcon's first flight from its rooftop home in Brooklyn. Not only must the fledgling overcome its fear of flying but once airborne it is chased by a hawk. In escaping the hawk the fledgling takes the reader on a bird's-eye tour of the city from the subway to the rooftops. We enjoy an exhilarating ride and vicarious pride in the fledgling's courage and skill. The realistic watercolors bring Brooklyn to life and give immediacy to the dangers of urban life for wild creatures.
For children from three to six.

Fledging is a beautifully illustrated book with the main character being a kestrel, a small falcon. This is fledging's first day of flight. He has an exciting flight through the canyons of Manhattan, to a Coney Island roller coaster to a being in a subway car. This delightful book is ideal for the pre-school and kindergarten set. Robert Blake's books are exciting because he never illustrates his books just in one style or medium. He paints with earth tones water colors in this book and soft watercolors in The Perfect Spot and wintry oils in Akiak.

When you hear the word, "watercolors", you may immediately think of soft dreamy landscapes and lovely vistas. "Watercolors", the word, does not conjure up vibrant images and exciting chase sequences. And yet that is exactly what you will find in Robert Blake's visually astounding, "Fledgling". A simple tale about the day in the life of a young bird, the illustrations in this book are topsy-turvy twistings of perspective and distance. It can single-handedly change how you feel about the art of watercolors.

Even before you reach the book's title page you see a single page displaying three tentative birdies. Says the text, "Today is the day we are all going to fly". And there you have it. A single kestral (a member of the falcon family that may live in metropolitan areas) is about to learn how to fly. At first the bird is tentative and resorts merely to gliding. Subsequently, however, it's figured out the logistics of good flying. And not a minute too soon. Appearing out of the upper left corner dive a pair of sharp speedy claws. The rest of the book consists of the kestral trying frantically to escape from a hungry hawk. Through the roller coasters of Coney Island! Into the subway car of the D train! Up and up and away they fly, until the kestral is free but lost. Fortunately a friendly cry from its family leads our hero home. Happy and safe.

This is one of those cases where the story is fine but you've undoubtedly seen it one hundred times before. It's the pictures that let it stand out. In his note at the back of the book, Blake explains how he was inspired to create this story. He describes the pains he took to draw falcons, "in every conceivable position". The result is a book that clearly reflects his efforts. Our hero spreads his beautifully spotted wings amid the streets of modern day Brooklyn. Every stripe and feather is in place on this magnificently rendered animal. Blake, having mastered the bird itself, then shifts the viewer's perspective. One minute you're looking up at the kestral from below as it flies by an intricately designed ferris wheel. The next minute you're looking down on it as it searches the city streets for its family. The twisting images and skewed scenes are mesmerizing. Best of all, Blake includes some fabulous details with his story. Be sure to notice the dogs that break away from their walkers to follows the two birds into the subway's depths.

I could go on all day about these pictures. I could mention how well Blake uses light and shadow, or how perfectly the buildings bend within the pages. I could point out the advantage of a blue headed hero (especially when he's poised against a metropolitan background) or the fine-lined illustrations that make every picture interesting. Heck, the book's even occasionally broken up into three or four separate columns, according to the needs of the text. I'm disheartened by the fact that "Fledgling" did not garner its own Caldecott Honor, let alone Award. It's also a little sad to see the Twin Towers standing proud and tall on the cover, though Blake is hardly to blame for that. And there are some slight inconsistencies in the kestral's colors from picture to picture. There ends all my complaints of this book. As it stands, I feel "Fledgling" is one of the strongest picture books out there. Children everywhere will identify with the bird's sense of loss and powerlessness, and will enjoy the ending just a bit more as a result. If you need at least one beautiful picture book in your collection, choose this one. It withstands repeated gazings.

This is a beautiful book! It provides ecological information that a child can understand. It has a strong message and is entertaining as well as educational. It has beatiful watercolor paintings and a compelling storyline. Enjoyable for parents and children.

It tells how hard the life of birds can be. I especially liked how it told about the cowbird who came and took one egg away because that tells the way cowbirds are. I liked how the children gaves names to the woodthrushes.

When I began writing Flute's Journey, I was going to put Flute in the woods at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center where I was then artist-in-residence. However, an ornithologist friend said, "put Flute in the Belt Woods!" "What's the Belt woods?" I asked. She told me it was a forest that had been owned by Seton Belt and he had willed it to a church if they agreed to never cut the trees or sell the land. But after he died, the church had the will overturned and put the land up for sale to a developer for $9 million. It's a long story, but many children wrote letters to the bishop of the church asking that they respect Seton Belt's wishes and save the land. And, I'm convinced, that it was their letters that saved Flute's home, the Belt woods. Their letters, like the following one, came from the heart: "Seton Belt trusted you. How can you go against him?" Our campaign to save the woods was covered by CBS Morning News with Charles Osgood and they mentioned Flute's Journey and the children's letters. They asked me what kids could do. I said, "they can write to the church." And so many more letters were sent. Now Belt Woods is preserved forever. Children helped to save Flute's home and children, in many ways, can make a difference in the world. Lynne Cherry

As a fifth grade science teacher in Texas, one of our objectives is for students to understand the difference between learned and inherited behaviors. Flute's Journey accomplishes this goal beautifully. From the beautiful illustrations to the lyrical text, the students are drawn in to the life of a woodthrush. As I read the book to them, they were to write down in one column the learned traits they saw/heard, and the inherited traits in another. They were enthralled with the story, and were amazed at how many examples there were in this one book of each type of behavior. Even though this book is listed for the lower primary grades, I highly recommend it for any science class studying learned and instinctual behaviors.

"Folding Paper Cranes" is almost guaranteed to arouse anger and depression in the reader. However, it is also a book of hope and inspiration. Leonard Bird's book moved me to tears at times, a deeply affecting read.

It is maddening that our Federal government chose to put men such as Bird at such great risk, using them as laboratory rats. The hope that resides in this engaging little book is how the Japanese people rose out of the nuclear ash and their dedication to peace.

When you read of Bird's encounter with Mr. Tanaka and little Meiko and her family make sure the tissue box is nearby. Leonard Bird knows redemption. He has met it face-to-face, redemption with flesh on it.

This is a very poetically written book about the author's experiences with United States atomic bomb testing and his coming to peace with the dropping of the bomb on Japan.

This incredible book feels like an intimate recollection between you and the author. The descriptive prose will shake you to your foundation as Mr. Bird describes with amazing clarity his encounters with nuclear horror. Although small in stature (its only 150 pages) it walks tall and you will emerge from the experience changed.

I have had the pleasure of traveling and spending time with Red and amazingly I knew nothing of this book. When it was given to me a sat and read it instantly. The tears flowed down my cheeks as I read it cover to cover.

I hope it will inspire you to think about our nuclear legacy, act to eliminate nuclear warheads from planet earth, and fold some paper cranes for good luck.

This memoir chronicles the author's experience as a test subject for one of the hundreds of US Government nuclear bomb trials which took place in the desert of Nevada, and the aftermath of its effects on the author both physically and psychologically. As a young soldier, Bird was ordered to crouch in a trench with his squad a mere 4,000 yards from the detonation of the largest nuclear bomb explosion in North America, wearing only a WWII gas mask for protection. The memoir is framed by the author's three trips to Hiroshima which ultimately aid in his attempt to come to terms with both the terror and hope he shares with the victims and survivors of nuclear war in Hiroshima. His account brings to life the horror of Hiroshima that is only understood abstractly by many Americans. Additionally, it is very informative about the hundreds of nuclear explosions the government sponsors in our own country for the purpose of experimentation and the devastating effects of radiation disease caused by radioactive fallout. Folding Paper Cranes: An Atomic Memoir, is frank, sensitive, and searingly honest. It is sprinkled with poetry and though poignant with despair, ultimately brings a message of peace and hope.