Reviews
"The intrepid husband-and-wife team's latest travels take them to Iceland to report on the plight of puffins. With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland. There, they recount the annual rescue of baby puffins by children of the Puffling Patrol. The young birds are often confused by streetlights in the small town and must be rescued and returned to the shore. Focusing on brother-and-sister twins in one Icelandic family, the Lewins provide fascinating information on the adorable birds and the special attention they receive. Whether sheltered in a box or held carefully in the children's hands, the pufflings are irresistible. The lush watercolor paintings and detailed pen-and-ink sketches draw readers into this remote land and provide many charming close-up views of the colorful seabirds. Like animal life all over, puffins are threatened by global warming, and fewer and fewer numbers are recorded each year, making the twins' efforts feel all the more urgent. The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones. His concluding sequence of spreads of the pufflings' successful release is breathtaking. These larger vistas work harmoniously with Betsy Lewin's more informal, loosely composed pen-and-ink field sketches that fluidly capture the antics of the comical seabirds. Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling. It covers the same rescue introduced in Bruce McMillan's appealing Nights of the Pufflings (Houghton, 1995), with more background information on the island, its volcanic activity, and the current plight of the pufflings (there has been a decrease in sand eels, their main source of food). A comprehensive glossary and pronunciation guide to the Icelandic words round out a handsome package." -- School Library Journal "After accompanying a team of researchers studying the puffins' burrows in cliffs above the sea, the Lewins follow two children, twins Erna and Dáni, as they find a wayward puffling, take it home for the night, visit the natural history museum's rescue station the next day, and help with the release of many pufflings. Wonderfully vibrant and expressive, the book's illustrations include large watercolor paintings and smaller ink drawings with watercolor washes." -- Booklist Best Children's Books of the Year: Outstanding Merit, Bank Street College of Education Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Green Earth Book Award Honor Book, The Nature Generation Nonfiction Honor List, VOYA Outstanding Children's Book Award Finalist, Animal Behavior Society Reading Program, United Methodist Women, "The intrepid husband-and-wife team's latest travels take them to Iceland to report on the plight of puffins. With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland. There, they recount the annual rescue of baby puffins by children of the Puffling Patrol. The young birds are often confused by streetlights in the small town and must be rescued and returned to the shore. Focusing on brother-and-sister twins in one Icelandic family, the Lewins provide fascinating information on the adorable birds and the special attention they receive. Whether sheltered in a box or held carefully in the children's hands, the pufflings are irresistible. The lush watercolor paintings and detailed pen-and-ink sketches draw readers into this remote land and provide many charming close-up views of the colorful seabirds. Like animal life all over, puffins are threatened by global warming, and fewer and fewer numbers are recorded each year, making the twins' efforts feel all the more urgent. The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." --Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones. His concluding sequence of spreads of the pufflings' successful release is breathtaking. These larger vistas work harmoniously with Betsy Lewin's more informal, loosely composed pen-and-ink field sketches that fluidly capture the antics of the comical seabirds. Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling. It covers the same rescue introduced in Bruce McMillan's appealing Nights of the Pufflings (Houghton, 1995), with more background information on the island, its volcanic activity, and the current plight of the pufflings (there has been a decrease in sand eels, their main source of food). A comprehensive glossary and pronunciation guide to the Icelandic words round out a handsome package. " --School Library Journal "After accompanying a team of researchers studying the puffins' burrows in cliffs above the sea, the Lewins follow two children, twins Erna and Dni, as they find a wayward puffling, take it home for the night, visit the natural history museum's rescue station the next day, and help with the release of many pufflings. Wonderfully vibrant and expressive, the book's illustrations include large watercolor paintings and smaller ink drawings with watercolor washes." --Booklist, "With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland... The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones... Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling." -- School Library Journal Best Children's Books of the Year Outstanding - Bank Street College of Education CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Green Earth Book Award Honor - The Nature Generation Outstanding Children's Book Award Finalist - Animal Behavior Society United Women in Faith Reading Program - United Methodist Women, "With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland... The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones... Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling." -- School Library Journal Best Children's Books of the Year: Outstanding Merit, Bank Street College of Education Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Green Earth Book Award Honor Book, The Nature Generation Nonfiction Honor List, VOYA Outstanding Children's Book Award Finalist, Animal Behavior Society Reading Program, United Methodist Women, "With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland. . . The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones. . . Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling." -- School Library Journal Best Children's Books of the Year: Outstanding Merit, Bank Street College of Education Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Green Earth Book Award Honor Book, The Nature Generation Nonfiction Honor List, VOYA Outstanding Children's Book Award Finalist, Animal Behavior Society Reading Program, United Methodist Women, "With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland. . . The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones. . . Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling." -- School Library Journal Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education CCBC Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Green Earth Book Award, The Nature Generation Nonfiction Honor List, VOYA Nonfiction Honor List Selection Committee Outstanding Children's Book Award, Animal Behavior Society United Women in Faith Reading Program, United Methodist Women, "With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland. . . The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones. . . Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling." -- School Library Journal Best Children's Books of the Year: Outstanding Merit, Bank Street College of Education Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Green Earth Book Award Honor Book, The Nature Generation Nonfiction Honor List, VOYA Outstanding Children's Book Award, Animal Behavior Society Reading Program, United Methodist Women, "With their usual skilled attention to detail and empathy for animal life, the Lewins take readers to the island of Heimaey off the southern coast of Iceland. . . The Lewins have previously visited and written about elephants in Botswana and India, gorillas in Uganda and horses in Mongolia; this latest travelogue is as informative and attractive. Bird and animal lovers will enjoy this journey to a remote but welcoming locale." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ted Lewin is a master at depicting light and shadow, and his majestic watercolor paintings effectively display the windswept vistas in cool blues and greens and indoor and nighttime scenes in warmer tones. . . Handsomely designed, this inherently engaging story sends an important message about the difference the island children make in helping save just one precious puffling." -- School Library Journal Best Children's Books of the Year Outstanding - Bank Street College of Education CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Green Earth Book Award Honor - The Nature Generation Outstanding Children's Book Award Finalist - Animal Behavior Society United Women in Faith Reading Program - United Methodist Women
