Washing the Willow Tree Loon [Library Binding]

Jaqueline Briggs Martin (Author), Nancy Carpenter (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995 | Age Level: 5 and up

When an oil spill occurs at Turtle Bay, a group of bird-lovers--including a baker, a barber, a doctor, an artist, and a housepainter--rescue a oil-matted loon and care for her at a birdwashing station before returning her to the wild.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Martin describes the tactics used to rescue a loon that has become coated with oil after a barge hits a bridge in the bay. After netting it, treatment, which takes many days, includes cleaning and drying its feathers until the bird can swim and fly again. Many volunteers, including a barber, baker, and veterinarian, contribute hours to saving the loon and other creatures. The book's refrain?"I have work to do"?may confuse children; at the beginning it is used by an uncaring person as an excuse for not joining in the rescue effort, and at the end instead demonstrates the high level of commitment of the people who try feverishly to save the birds. The phrase also serves as a call to action for readers: "The world is full of birds. And we have work to do." Carpenter's oil paint and colored-pencil illustrations offer a moody, almost impressionistic glimpse into this bayside community and its citizens; at the same time, she includes sufficient detail to make the book useful in a classroom situation. The author's long concluding note provides accurate information for adults that amplifies the procedures depicted in the text, and encourages readers to clean up local environments to help wildlife. Paired with Gloria Rand's Prince William (Holt, 1992); Melvin Berger's Oil Spill (HarperCollins, 1994); or Terry Carr's Spill! (Watts, 1991), the book will provide an idealistic and optimistic treatment of a subject frequently in the news.?Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-4. This book stresses the importance of wildlife rescue by focusing on the fate of an oil-slicked loon. When a barge hits a bridge on Turtle Bay, many birds are caught in the resultant spill. The first passersby do nothing, but soon volunteers arrive to help. A woman leaves her bakery to gently net the damaged loon and take it to the rescue center. There people from all walks of life work together to save birds. The loon is washed, rinsed, medicated, fed, and allowed to recover its natural waterproofing before being released to the wild. Each stage in the loon's recovery is illustrated with large, softly expressive oil paintings in glowing blues and yellows. By focusing on an individual bird, the story gains emotional weight without stickiness. The book would be a good starting point for discussions of personal and community responsibility for wildlife conservation. An extensive endnote provides further information on bird rehabilitation. Leone McDermott

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Juv) (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689804156
• ISBN-13: 978-0689804151
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the author of Snowflake Bentley, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal. She grew up on a farm in Maine and now she lives in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.