Sibert Medalist and National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery is a regular contributor to the Scientists in the Field series, writing about reptiles, mammals, fish and--like this majestic delve into the California condor--birds. Condor Comeback takes young readers into the world of an oft-misunderstood vulture and offers them plenty of reasons to care about its well-being and critically endangered status.
Working alongside specialists from the Santa Barbara Zoo, Montgomery observes condors both in the wild and in captivity, learning the meticulous details of the efforts to repopulate and conserve the largest bird species in North America. While the California condor was officially extinct in the wild in the late 1980s, it has since grown to a world population exceeding 450 birds, despite continuing threats. Montgomery shares her experiences through alluring prose that makes a creature that "stories and films often portray... as icky" morph into a fascinating bird worthy of protection that people can easily envision as "nature's original conscientious objector--a huge and powerful bird who 'could be a killer, but chooses instead to live in peace with his fellow creatures.' "
Montgomery's personal stories combined with interludes offering supplemental information leave readers with a wealth of knowledge and trivia. These extras are not only entertaining but will also likely impress the whole science class: for example, "Condors can shoot out their stinky, acidic throw-up like mace or pepper spray." The full-color photographs from Tianne Strombeck are striking--expressive and full of action--bringing the condor even closer to readers. From beginning to end, Condor Comeback encourages the audience to empathize with its subject and join in the fight to save this marvelous species. --Jen Forbus, freelancer