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WINGS FOR MY FLIGHT

Name: WINGS FOR MY FLIGHT
Author: Marcy Cottrell Houle
ISBN: 0-201-57706-2

: THE PEREGRINE FALCONS OF CHIMNEY ROCK

by Marcy Cottrell Houle ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 25, 1991

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A charmingly personal account of biologist Houle's work with peregrine falcons. Because of its speed, power, and docility, the peregrine falcon has for centuries been favored by sporting falconers. The black market for peregrines (one can bring as much as $10,000) in combination with encroachments on the species' habitat, and the deadliness of DDT throughout the food chain, brought near- extinction by the 1970's. Sponsored by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Houle's Chimney Rock study, begun in 1985, was designed to document the ``habitat requirements'' of nesting peregrines: primarily, the number of square miles essential for hunting the prey necessary to survival. Though ``Jenny,'' female half of only one of seven surviving pairs in the Rockies, inexplicably disappears, and three of the five nestlings have died, Houle and her teammate, Alex, using radios and a Forest Service garbage truck to track, learn that ``King Arthur,'' Jenny's mate, ranges up to 10 miles from the nest and hunts a 20-square-mile area to provide enough food for his two sons, ``Bold Leopold'' and ``Albert.'' The two fledglings take on distinct personalities as Houle describes their growth, initial ventures away from the nest, and spectacular if often clumsy flying lessons. Their first attempts at ``stooping,'' or diving, are both comical and harrowing. All is not tranquil, however, as Houle finds herself the target of irate residents who favor the tourism-hungry US Forest Service and developers who plan to build cabins, lookout stations, and a tramway to draw visitors to the area. In addition, the site is covered with Anasazi Indian ruins. The controversy culminates in harassment from some of the residents and construction workers and, finally, the destruction and theft of Houle's equipment and personal belongings. Loosely organized and occasionally sparse on detail, but an enlightening cautionary take nonetheless.

Pub Date: April 25, 1991

ISBN: 0-201-57706-2

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Addison-Wesley

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1991

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.