Saving Jemima

August 1, 2019

Zickefoose (The Bluebird Effect; Baby Birds) tells the story of an orphaned baby blue jay she rehabilitates on her sanctuary in Ohio, and what happens when Jemima is released into the wild. Her affecting art enhances the narrative. During Jemima's rehabilitation, the author focused on helping the blue jay recover from illness and starvation while preparing her to have the strength to fly again. There is much sentiment in this story but also science and analysis, as well as commentary from family and friends. Throughout, Zickefoose emphasizes common misconceptions about birds, refuting stereotypes and listing numerous features that vary from bird to bird. The result is easy, engaging prose that can be read alongside the PBS show Nature, which features Jemima's story but easily stands on its own. VERDICT A heartwarming account for all interested in natural history, especially birds, animal behavior, and wildlife rehabilitation.--Henry T. Armistead, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2019
Zickefoose, artist and author (Baby Birds, 2016), here pens a most intimate book about life, change, and the care of a nestling blue jay. Zickefoose had been a wildlife rehabilitator for years when she decided she had to stop responding to constant calls for help with injured wildlife. But she hadn't accounted for social media, and found herself helpless over a Facebook query about a baby blue jay. She took in the chick, and what follows is a lovely tale about bringing a demanding jay into a family of young adult children, a dog, and busy parents. As Jemima grows up and is released into the author's yard, readers learn not only quite a bit of blue-jay natural history, but also the tricks of wildlife rehabilitators as well as the mistakes to which Zickefoose wryly confesses. Just when Jemima reached independence, she contracted an eye disease common to house finches, and the ingenious ways the author was able to treat a free-flying bird are astounding. Mixing cute blue-jay stories with scientific facts, the author teaches readers lots of ornithology, and, by adding tales of the simultaneous turmoil her family was undergoing, she shows how nature and animals can heal heartbreak. Zickefoose has produced another hard-to-put-down winner!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)