You may have heard of the butterfly effect, but readers and bird-lovers should look forward to becoming acquainted Julie Zickefoose's The Bluebird Effect. In her first chapter, the talented artist and naturalist (Letters from Eden) recalls the time when she and her husband saved a male bluebird from the grip of a hawk. Identifying the rescued bird by its drooping wing thereafter, Zickefoose was able to track it over the course of the next seven years. That single bluebird was ultimately responsible for 53 direct offspring--quite an impact on the natural world.
The Bluebird Effect is full of true-life bird stories such as this, as Zickefoose is often asked to help save injured or abandoned song birds. Each chapter in the book features a compelling tale about a particular species of bird, interspersed with an assortment of Zickefoose's black-and-white sketches and more accomplished watercolors. Birders will be impressed by Zickefoose's avian knowledge and recognizable style--in addition to her own books, she's also contributed to several birding guides--but all readers will appreciate her gift for both observation and expression when it comes to capturing the winged creatures on the page, either with words or with brushstrokes. Most will be hard-pressed to resist hanging a birdfeeder in close view after finishing this fine book. --Roni K. Devlin, owner of Literary Life Bookstore & More