[New!]
Reviewed by American Birding Association review by Rebecca Minardi
The
illustrations in Manu, the Boy Who Loved Birds are arresting and
bring the story to life... It’s refreshing to find a children’s
book where it’s very clear that care and research went into making
sure all species were represented true to life. Indeed one of
the most intriguing aspects of [the book] is the extensive ten-page
afterword full of photos, historical paintings, and a glossary
of Hawaiian words... I hope Manu inspires readers to question
why some birds no longer inhabit this planet and challenges them
to wonder how they can work to protect the ones we have left.
Review
by Puanani Fernandez-Akamine for Ka Wai Ola, Office of Hawaiian
Affairs
Part storybook and part science lesson, Manu, The Boy Who Loved
Birds, is a new children’s book {that}… joyfully blends spirituality,
culture, science and technology… Entertaining and enlightening,
{it} emphasizes both Hawaiian culture and environmental conservation
and is brought to life by Loebel- Fried’s colorful and whimsical
block-print illustrations... Manu, The Boy Who Loved Birds is
a charming and educational book that serves as a reminder that
culture and science are, and should be, complementary.
--
Manu,
the Boy Who Loved Birds is a story about extinction, conservation,
and culture, told through a child’s experience and curiosity.
Readers learn along with Manu about the extinct honeyeater for
which he was named, his Hawaiian heritage, and the relationship
between animals and habitat. An afterword includes in-depth information
on Hawai‘i’s forest birds and featherwork in old Hawai‘i, a glossary,
and a list of things to do to help. Illustrated with eye-catching,
full-color block prints, the book accurately depicts and incorporates
natural science and culture in a whimsical way, showing how we
can all make a difference for wildlife.
University
of Hawaii Press 2020
Hardback: $16.99
48 pages | full-color illustrations
ISBN-13: 9780824882723
Educational
programs with the Pacific Beach Coalition and Caren Loebel-Fried
The Pacific Beach Coalition’s 2020-2021 Earth Honoree is
the Albatross. Learn through these ambassadors of our oceans about
ecology, ocean health, marine debris, with virtual lesson plans.
Subjects include ecology, geography, art, English, climate change,
plastic pollution.
Albatross:
Life on the Wind and Sea
A traveling exhibition from the Seymour Marine Discovery Center,
Caren Loebel-Fried, and Exhibit Envoy, based on the book A Perfect
Day for an Albatross.
This online exhibition features images and text with accompanying
audio and visual components, extra downloadable content, and activities
to do in the classroom or at home. Also available as a physical
traveling exhibit.
Praise
for A Perfect Day for an Albatross: The …illustrations… are bold and striking. The book ends
with some factual information on albatross biology and conservation,
helpful to answer questions that a child might raise… I can
recommend Caren’s latest book to parents looking for a gift
for their pre-teen child. It can only help install and encourage
a respect and love for the magnificent beings that albatrosses
truly are (link).
- John Cooper, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses
and Petrels (ACAP) Information Officer
"A
wonderful introduction to a magnificent sea bird, this vibrantly
illustrated story belongs on every shelf."
- School Library Journal
"A Perfect Day for an Albatross is a perfect book for any
child you love, a book of generous, inspired vision. It’s a
beautiful story about these legendary birds in their ocean paradise."
- Carl Safina, author of Eye of the Albatross, and Beyond Words;
What Animals Think and Feel.
"A compellingly beautiful picture book, Loebel-Fried’s
captivating text is full of vivid descriptions and fun-to-say
words that delight the ear and tongue. The book’s visual images
are every bit as stunning, evoking seascapes and landscapes in
deep, bright tones. Loebel-Fried’s powers of observation and her
empathy with the natural world shine through."
- Beth Guldseth, American Birding Association (ABA)
"After
spending five weeks on Midway Atoll counting albatrosses, Volcano
author and artist Caren Loebel-Fried collaborated with Cornell
Lab of Ornithology to create the ideal book for children and nature
lovers of all ages. Both gorgeous and scientifically sound, as
well as gracefully told…"
– Don Wallace, Honolulu Magazine
First in a new children's series from the Cornell Lab Publishing
Group and award-winning author and artist, Caren Loebel-Fried,
A Perfect Day for an Albatross sweeps you into an albatross’s
world of wind, rolling seas, boisterous dancing, and their intense
commitment to one another and their nestlings. Set on Midway Atoll,
where 72 percent of the world’s Laysan Albatrosses make their
nests, Malie, an albatross, must protect her egg until her mate
returns. Join Malie as she dances, hunts, and soars over the ocean
swells.
A
Perfect Day for an Albatross is compatible with Bird
QR for streaming sounds, video, and other content. Back matter
includes a Bird QR link to watch live albatrosses on the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology HD cam in Hawai'i.
'Alala
Love, by Caren Loebel-Fried
An original hand-pulled, hand-colored block print created for
the Hawai'i
Island Fesitval of Birds. Inspired by a photo taken by Jack
Jeffrey in 1999, this Hawaiian crow pair was thought to be the
last remaining couple in the wild. 'Alala, the Hawaiian crow,
is 18-20", with black feathers tinged in brown. The last of
the wild 'alala were found on the southwest slope of Mauna Loa
in South Kona, Hawai'i at 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The crows traveled
in family groups eating fruit, the eggs and young of other birds,
nectar, seeds, insects, and dead animals. Now extinct in the
wild, a captive breeding program at Keauhou Bird Conservation
Center promises a hopeful future for Hawaiian crows.
Hawai'i Island Festival of Birds: www.birdfesthawaii.org
Art for Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
This piece of art was created by Caren Loebel-Fried for Kilauea
Point National Wildlife Refuge to educate about its wildlife,
its beautiful and historic lighthouse, and the Hawaiian cultural
connection with this Kauai treasure. To learn more about Kilauea
Point, and the work that USFWS is doing there, click here: www.fws.gov/refuge/kilauea_point.
To learn about Kilauea Point Natural History Association, the
non-profit organization that works closely with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service team to support conservation, education,
and preservation efforts for the precious wildlife of Kaua‘i,
click here: www.kilaueapoint.org.
Art for Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle for Midway
National Monument
This
piece of art was created by Caren Loebel-Fried for the USFWS to
celebrate and support Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the
Battle of Midway Memorial, and the deep Hawaiian roots throughout
Papahanaumokuakea, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
To
learn more about Midway Atoll, the wildlife, the Battle at Midway,
and the work that USFWS is doing there, click
here.
Caren
observed Wisdom the laysan albatross while on Midway. Wisdom,
the oldest known wild bird (over 64 years old) who is still laying
eggs and raising chicks, was nesting in front of the room where
Caren stayed. Wisdom is a great inspiration! Click
here for info on Wisdom.
Drawings for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, for
new Passport Stamps for the 26 Pacific Remote Refuges and Monuments
Ho`ailona,
Hawaiian Monk Seal
Art
work commissioned by the Conservation Council for Hawai'i’s
annual wildlife poster, which will be distributed to all schools
throughout the Hawaiian Islands in the Spring of 2014. Endemic
to Hawai'i, the monk seal is the most endangered mammal in the
world, with only about 1000 individuals left in Hawai'i. Learn
More!