ISBN: 9781775432371
Pages: 32
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12 / YA 12-18
Genre: Non-fiction / NZ Non-fiction
Rating: 5 stars
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At one time, not so very long ago, there remained only five black robins in the whole world.
The story of Old Blue is a remarkable story of survival and conservation.
This is the story about Old Blue, a Black Robin who lived for over thirteen years, and is one of the reasons that these birds are not extinct. It is also the story of Dr Don Merton's conservation work on the Chatham Islands in New Zealand, and how he used cross-fostering to help save the world's rarest bird - the Chatham Islands Black Robin.
Originally published in 1993, this edition has been redesigned and updated.
Told in a narrative style, this non-fiction book leads us through the history of the black robin, the processes that Dr Don & his team went through, and Old Blue's efforts to re-populate the black robin species. It is beautifully told (although it may require a tissue or three as it is quite an awe-inspiring and heartfelt read) and quite simply worded.
Mary Taylor is a professional artist and her work is just amazing. The illustrations in Old Blue appear as if you are looking through a window and observing what is happening. I love the framing of the other images with parts of the main illustration overlapping the frame.
There is a lovely map of the Chatham Islands on the first page which leads into the story. The very last page has a small copy of the two plates illustrating all the birds of the Chatham Islands (3rd page in & 3rd-to-last page). It lists each bird and their degree of vulnerability. It also provides information on a current conservation effort to save the Fairy Tern (tara-iti).
The quote on the back cover is so thought-provoking, and yet so true:
"If the rarest bird in the world can be rescued, then given human determination and effort, no species need become extinct."
Dr Don Merton
Awards:
Winner Children's Book Awards: Non fiction 1994
A fantastic book to have in your non-fiction narrative collection. The story is amazing but it is also a book that you can just loose yourself in with the illustrations. Appropriate for middle primary school (as a read-aloud) all the way through to high school.
I got my copy of Old Blue: The Rarest Bird in the World from the Taradale Primary School library where I work.
You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.
Check out the review on We Love Books: The Booksellers New Zealand Blog.
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