Disclosure: I was sent samples
from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
Arrives in Stores on April 15th
Did you know that beavers could skydive? I had no idea until I read this book and
found out about a group of beavers who did just that in McCall, Idaho just
after World War II. This book, from Sleeping Bear Press, was really
a fascinating read and one that both my girls and I loved reading together. Not
only was the story engaging and the illustrations fun to look at, but the girls
especially loved learning about this unique conservation effort from the Idaho
Dept. of Fish and Game back in 1948, to help find a place in the mountainside
for the beavers to live and not be bothered by humans, and vise versa.
Here is more about this recent release:
“Just after World War II, the people of McCall, Idaho, found themselves with a problem on their hands. McCall was a lovely resort community in Idaho's backcountry with mountain views, a sparkling lake, and plenty of forests. People rushed to build roads and homes there to enjoy the year-round outdoor activities. It was a beautiful place to live. And not just for humans. For centuries, beavers had made the region their home. But what's good for beavers is not necessarily good for humans, and vice versa. So in a unique conservation effort, in 1948 a team from the Idaho Fish and Game Department decided to relocate the McCall beaver colony. In a daring experiment, the team airdropped seventy-six live beavers to a new location. One beaver, playfully named Geronimo, endured countless practice drops, seeming to enjoy the skydives, and led the way as all the beavers parachuted into their new home. Readers and nature enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy this true story of ingenuity and determination."
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I wish I could go back in time and see the Dept. of Fish and
Game air dropping 6 live beavers from the air, to their new homes. That must have a been a site to see. My girls said they would have loved to have
met Geronimo, the playful beaver who was at the center of it all and helped the
dept. with practice drops. It turns out
beavers including Geronimo love skydiving…who knew? I for one am not a fan of heights, so you
wouldn’t catch me skydiving. But, as I
read this true story to the girls, I could see Geronimo became found of the
parachuting and would run back into the box made to hold the beavers, just to
do it again. What a daredevil he was. J
We have only had this book for about a week now, but it has
become a staple at bedtime. If I forget
to bring it up to bed, the girls are quick to say, “Mom, you forgot the
skydiving beavers” book. My husband
heard this the other day and asked the girls what they were talking. He had
never heard of a beavers skydiving. Look
what he went and did. For about a half
hour that night the girls talked his ear off about Geronimo and the Elmo the
man behind the idea to drop the beavers by parachutes. I loved hearing the girls talk passionately
about this story and give a description of the boxes Elmo made and how he and
his team found the perfect spot fit for the beavers, and far enough away from
the humans, so everyone could live happier ever after.
You don’t usually find fun stories like this for children
that are also true stories and spark their interests. My girls now want to do a lesson on beavers
for school, and go to the local nature center to check out beavers up
close. I am so happy I had the chance to
read “The Skydiving Beavers: A True Story” to them, and that can add this
wonderful book to our library. Next week
for the girls’ show and tell at the nature center they go to, they already have
plans to bring this book to share with their teachers and classmates. This book
is one that both children and adults will love, and want to pick up and read
time and again.
Disclosure: I was sent samples
from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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