Genre 4 (Nonfiction) Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's

Strangest Parrot

Text By: Sy Montgomery

Photography By: Nic Bishop

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Montgomery, Sy. (2010). KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD’S STRANGEST PARROT. By: Nic Bishop. Boston, N.Y.  Houghton Mifflin. Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-618-49417-0 

SUMMANY:

Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop wait years for an opportunity to visit New Zealand’s Codfish Island in hopes to witness one of the world’s most fascinating “gentle giants”, the Kakapo parrot. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is an informational text about the tragic, yet amazing and curious life of a Kakapo, presented through Sy Montgomery’s experiences on Codfish Island with Nic Bishop and other important Kakapo conservationist team members.    

CRITAL ANALYSIS:

“I still feel sort of guilty” photographer Nic Bishop says to Sy Montgomery. “Part of the guilt stems from just being a person in a world horribly overcrowded with humans, buildings, factories, roads, and poisons. We are a species that seems to make a mess of the natural world wherever we go.”  Photographer Nic Bishop’s exact statement is one of many mentioned in this text that speaks loudly, echoing for days in the minds of Montgomery’s readers. Montgomery’s heartfelt ten day journey on Codfish Island presents the true meaning behind being a “greenie”.

Montgomery and Bishop’s brilliant descriptions and photography of the life of a kakapo on Codfish Island provide their readers with so much more meaning then just words being read in a book. Montgomery and Bishop have given the kakapos a chance at survival by educating readers about these absolutely extraordinary flightless birds. Montgomery compares each kakapo to a Mona Lisa, a Taj Mahal, or a Hope Diamond. "Each is a treasure of unsurpassed rarity and value. But unlike a painting, a building, or a gem, each kakapo is a living treasure, a treasure that loves its own life."  This statement allows readers to understand just how fragile and rare these remarkable birds truly are. Montgomery describes the forest of New Zealand’s Codfish Island “as if at times you are walking through a fairy tale”. Bishop’s breathtaking images of the bright green luscious terrain of Codfish Island back-up Montgomery’s statement in every way possible. With the help of many selfless people, Montgomery and Bishop’s gallant attempts at educating the world about these ground foraging creatures may be these birds’ only means of survival. Their extraordinary and rather rare experiences on Codfish Island will change the lives of their readers, making them think twice about their everyday decisions which could not only affect them but affect their environment around them.

 “Tristan was up near the booming bowls triangulating today when he tuned into Bill’s channel. To his horror, he got the sad, distinctive “mortality” signal that sounded when a bird has not moved in a long time: A fast beep-beep-beep, urgent as a heart attack. But in this case, there was nothing to be done.” Montgomery’s text though tragic and heartbreaking at times still seems to clutch the attention of her readers. Montgomery’s text makes readers feel as if they, too, are right by her and Bishop’s side, climbing up steep, wet, mossy trails and crawling over cold and muddy fern covered trees trunks, just to get a glance of a kakapo in its natural environment and to learn more about these rare honey smelling creatures. Montgomery includes a “P.S.: The Story Continues” excerpt at the conclusion of her story, which contributes to the understanding of the rarity of the kakapo. Montgomery informs her readers that there were eighty-seven kakapo when she and Bishop left Codfish Island, there are now still less than one hundred and fifty  kakapos in the world.  Due to unpredictable mating seasons and tragic accidents of mama kakapos losing or crushing their eggs in the nest, these birds do not multiply quickly. Before these birds had been brought to the brink of extension by settlers in New Zealand, kakapos were plentiful and flourishing. Montgomery described their abundance by comparing them to shaking apples off of an apple tree during harvesting season; they would fall out of the trees in droves.             

Montgomery’s uses terminology such as transmitter, incubator, triangulating, centigrade, Gale Warning, Ngai Tahu and Maori, contributing to the expansion of her reader’s vocabulary. These words may only be used in specific, scientific settings or with groups of people that her readers may not interact with on a regular basis. Introducing her readers to Ngai Tahu and Maori cultures will contribute to the readers' understanding of diverse groups of people and differences from culture to culture.

Nic Bishop’s selected photography flows perfectly with Montgomery’s experiences on Codfish Island. Bishop’s images have given readers an opportunity to understand the dedication and difficulty of the tasks that “nest menders”, and supportive wildlife conservationist rescue team members put forth to save the kakapos from extension. His images have captured an extremely rare and extraordinary experience that only a small number of people in the world will experience. Bishop’s photographs are just as important in this text as to the words on the pages. His photography provides a visual image for the reader which is just as important for educating readers on the importance of saving the world’s strangest parrot from extension.  

Montgomery and Bishop have created an extraordinary piece of literature that every reader in the world should experience. There should be multiple copies of this informational text on every coffee table, or in every classroom and library across the world. You have nothing to lose by reading about Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop's experiences on Codfish Island, but you do have everything to gain and so do the kakapos. Montgomery and Bishop describe their experiences on Codfish Island as a “blessing” and an “extraordinary gift”. Why miss out on such a life changing experience?  Kakapo Recue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is a must read.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

Kirkus, starred review- "Under the careful supervision of forest rangers and volunteers on an island off the New Zealand coast, the nearly extinct, flightless Kakapo parrot is the object of an intensive rescue effort described by this experienced writer-photographer team…”

Booklist, starred review- "Montgomery’s delight in her subject is contagious, and throughout her enthusiastic text, she nimbly blends scientific and historical facts with immediate, sensory descriptions of fieldwork. Young readers will be fascinated."

School Library Journal, starred review- “Take a parrot. Color it green. Give it soft, fluffy feathers, and whiskers. Give it sumo proportions and take away its power of flight. Make it nocturnal, and have it nest underground.”

The Bulletin, starred review- "More than most books about environmentalism or endangered species, this will encourage kids to consider how hands-on action can genuinely make a difference and how scientific contributions can be made by people who never go near a test tube."

CONNECTIONS:

Other Books about Rare Birds

The Race to Save the Lord God Bird - Phillip M Hoose- ISBN-13: 978-0374361730
100 Animals to See Before They Die - Nick Garbutt- ISBN-13: 978-1841622361
Can We Save Them? Endangered Species of North America - David Dobson- ISBN-13: 978-0881068221

Activity 1:

Have readers explore a webpage dedicated to the kakapo rescue recovery.
Resource:
www.kakaporecovery.org.nz
http://kakapocottage.co.nz/new_page_7.htm
http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_kakapo.htm

Activity 2:

Have readers watch recorded video of Kakapos in their natural environment. This website provided an opportunity for readers to compare and contrast the characteristics between kakapos and other birds. 

Resource:
http://www.arkive.org/kakapo/strigops-habroptila/video-00.html