Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

**Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly**

The Oldest Bird in the World Survives the Japanese Tsunami


The oldest bird in the world, documented with banding, is Wisdom, the Midway Albatross. She was on Midway when the Japanese Tsunami hit and this is her amazing story of survival of manmade and natural disasters for over 60 years. She has survived the dangers of living wild, plastic pollution, longline fishing, lead poisoning, and the Japanese earthquake. At 65, she's still laying eggs and hatching chicks. See her Facebook page at facebook.com/wisdomthealbatross


Wildlife artist Kitty Harvill used photos as a reference for her luminous watercolors. Her ability to depict a specific individual, not just a generic image of a species, makes this a unique portrait and a biography in text and art. Pattison's story, vetted by scientists in the field, explains the difficulties of surviving in the wild for a Laysan albatross. It's incredible that the bird banding program happened to band this unique bird early in her life and can still follow her story today.


Read this children's nonfiction picture book, a story of survival and hope amidst the difficulties of life.