Here comes Fire Chief. His life-story will be published this September. Kirkus Reviews gets in the first word:
The Sibert Honor–winning creators of The Book of Turtles (2023) recount the true story of a snapping turtle whom they both had a hand in rescuing.
The chronological account of Fire Chief’s life begins with a dramatic spread—his mother lays her eggs near a tree with giant roots that both shelter and appear poised to walk away. Child-friendly descriptions make clear the vulnerabilities of the newborn turtle, who was “almost as small as a quarter—so small that even a fish could swallow him.” Montgomery gently folds in the notion of his being “lucky” for having survived such challenges as predators and a road he must cross to reach his winter pond. As the town changes, Fire Chief’s road becomes a highway, leading to his pivotal “unlucky” collision with a car. The Turtle Rescue League tends to his wounds, builds him a wheelchair for indoor exercise, and gives him time to grow strong. Montgomery asks a crucial question: “Would he be fast enough to beat whizzing cars? Is any turtle?” The mostly white-presenting rescuers and local wildlife lovers come up with an ingenious solution; the backmatter reveals Montgomery and Patterson’s own involvement in the story—a poignant surprise. Patterson’s lifelike illustrations pour love on the book’s star: Fire Chief’s penetrating orange-brown eyes and bemused smile charm, while the folds of skin on his legs and chin look like landscape portraits in and of themselves.
In the annals of true animal rescue tales, this one delights and uplifts. (further information about Fire Chief and snapping turtles, photographs, resources) (Informational picture book. 4-8)
Animal Memoirs are Going Wild. Sy was interviewed by Alexandra Alter for her delightful tour of books about hares, foxes, owls, snails and other animals in The New York Times Book Review. From the story:
“It’s a very old yearning that our kind has,” said the naturalist Sy Montgomery, who has written dozens of books about animals, including How to Be a Good Creature, which chronicles her relationships with 13 animals, among them an octopus named Octavia.
As children, most of us feel an instinctive connection with other creatures. And some of the oldest forms of human art and literature — cave paintings, myths, fables — center on animals.
“It has helped us survive,” Montgomery said of this connection. “Until 10 minutes ago we were all hunter gatherers, and if you didn’t pay attention to the natural world a smilodon came and ate you.”….
Another critique of some animal memoirs is that authors stray into anthropomorphism, assigning human traits to their nonhuman subjects. But writers who have spent time with members of other species say it’s foolish to assume that we’re so very different.
“For the longest time, it was in vogue to say, oh that’s anthropomorphism, and that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Montgomery said. “It implies that emotions, individuality, personality are all human characteristics.”