National Network for Equitable Library Service

For hundreds of thousands of years Great Auks thrived in the icy seas of the North Atlantic, bobbing on the waves, diving for fish and struggling up onto rocky shores to mate and hatch their fluffy chicks. But by 1844, not a single one of these magnificent birds was alive. They could swim swiftly underwater, but their small wings meant they couldn't fly and their feet were so far back on their bodies, they couldn't walk very well. The birds managed to escape their predators much of the time, but when Vikings, Inuit, Beothuk and finally European hunters began pursuing them, their numbers rapidly dwindled. They became collectors' items - their skins were stuffed for museums, to be displayed along with their beautiful eggs. Although undeniably tragic, the final demise of the Great Auk led to the birth of the conservation movement. Grades 3-6 and older readers. Winner of the 2017 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. 2016.