Quetzal: Sacred Bird of the Forest

by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Neil Waldman (Illustrator)

"This unusual book looks at the quetzal from many points of view: as the ancient Aztec god Quetzalcoatl; as a source of valuable feathers throughout Mesoamerican history; as a rainforest bird of striking beauty and intriguing habits; and as an endangered animal today....The writing weaves the many strands of myth, lore, art, and natural history into a coherent narrative....Drawings add their own sense of wonder and mystery. Well researched and handsomely presented, this book offers a many-faceted study of the quetzal."--Booklist. Bibliography, index, maps.

Genres: Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

As a child, my favorite activity was exploring nature, especially finding animals like frogs, toads, and lizards. I kept tropical fish, had a dog, and loved riding horses. My love of animals led to a Ph.D. degree from U.C. Berkley in Zoology. In grad school I met and married fellow student Greg Patent. Our two sons, David and Jason, were born before we finished school. I wanted to use my training and my knowledge, but I also wanted to raise my sons and be there for them when they needed me. I decided that writing the kind of books I'd always loved reading was a good solution to my dilemma, and that turned out to be true. One of my favorite things is learning new "stuff," and every time I tackle a new book project I get to indulge myself in that passion. I'm a lucky gal!

Fast forward to the present. Our sons are grown and have their own families. We live in Missoula, MT, where Greg is now a food writer (http://www.thebakingwizard.com) and a radio personality (httpp://www.mtpr.org--look for Food Guys). My writing has expanded to other nonfiction topics, especially ones dealing with the Westward Expansion period of U.S. history. I've taught writing classes in many venues, visited schools in most U.S. states, attended many conferences for teachers and librarians, won a number of awards, and had great travel adventures in pursuit of my subject matter.

Reviews

[Freya Abbas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book that not only teaches you about the quetzal, but of the quetzal's relationship with humans. There is a lot of information on Mesoamerican cultures and their mythology and history in here, though a lot of it is oversimplified.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book about the amazing Quetzals with beautiful drawings.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is nominally a children's book but it provides solid information about the quetzal bird and a thumbnail sketch of Mesoamerican history.

[Milena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like an encyclopedia of the Quetzal. Its content is very important specially because of the stories about what this bird represents in Mayan mythology and symbolism. It is a great source for the young readers to learn about other cultures, environments, and wildlife. Recommended age: 7 years old or more.