Seabird in the Forest: The Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet
"Meet the marbled murrelet, a Pacific-coast seabird whose nesting place was a mystery for nearly two centuries. Although most seabirds stay near the coast, these build their nests inland and, after their eggs have hatched, make lengthy flights to bring small fish back for their nestlings to eat. The main text follows a mated pair of murrelets as they return to their nest and raise a single chick. Finally, the young murrelet makes his way to the sea. Small text boxes provide additional information and comment on what can be seen in the illustrations. Beautifully composed and softly lit, Dunning's beautiful paintings provide closeup views of the birds, both on the sea and in the forest. The book's final page lists books and websites used as sources. A fine introduction to the marbled murrelet, this picture book also provides glimpses of the surprising variety of plants and animals in the canopy of a redwood forest." --Booklist"... The text runs beneath expressive illustrations, with close-ups of adult birds and their chick as well as landscapes suggesting their contrasting worlds; they support the mood of mystery and show well at a distance. Text boxes set on the illustrations add further detail. A beautiful addition to larger bird or Pacific Coast collections. (sources, websites) (Informational picture book. 5-9)" --Kirkus Reviews"Rich illustrations and perceptive descriptions portray two marbled murrelets, which leave the sea to nest high in an oldgrowth canopy (the bird's unusual nesting habits were only discovered in the 1970s). Well-integrated sidebars describe other animals (a wandering salamander, a flying squirrel) that occupy the "landscape above a landscape" where the chick waits for its parents to return with fish. One day, the young murrelet plucks its downy feathers and takes flight for the first time. Dunning's verdant, rain-muted paintings on canvas lovingly celebrate the Pacific Northwest's singular ecosystem." --Publishers WeeklyRich illustrations and perceptive descriptions portray twomarbled murrelets, which leave the sea to nest high in an oldgrowthcanopy (the bird's unusual nesting habits were only discoveredin the 1970s). Well-integrated sidebars describe otheranimals (a wandering salamander, a flying squirrel) that occupythe "landscape above a landscape" where the chick waits for itsparents to return with fish. One day, the young murrelet plucksits downy feathers and takes flight for the first time. Dunning'sverdant, rain-muted paintings on canvas lovingly celebrate thePacific Northwest's singular ecosystem. --Publishers Weekly