As a school librarian, I am always looking for informative and engaging nonfiction for students to read. After reading "The Race to Save the Lord God Bird", I knew it was a book that would capture the interest and imagination of anyone I might recommend it to, young adults and older ones, too. In fact, it is one of the finest examples of nonfiction I have read in a long while.

The story is multi-faceted, filled with drama, science, passion, and just plain good storytelling. Phillip Hoose eloquently introduces us to the many factors that contributed to the demise of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, the belated efforts to save it, and the impact that its apparent extinction had on everyone taken by the magnificent bird, as well as on the conservation movement its endangerment fostered. This impeccably researched, beautifully written tale captures the essence of the value of all life here on earth and the responsibility we all share in safeguarding it. The poignant description of the last known female calling furtively to a seemingly nonexistent mate leaves the reader in despair, yet the author focuses on the positive outcomes in the race to save the bird, the lessons learned which hopefully will help keep the scenario from being played out again.

The amazing reappearance of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker this past year fills one with hope and awe, reminding us all that we can make a difference. "The Race to Save the Lord God Bird" is a must-read, now more than ever, to help us understand how and why the Ivory-bills were brought to the brink of extinction and how the efforts to salvage and protect what was left of its habitat did in fact make a huge difference.

This thoroughly documented, intruiging story traces the historical and cultural events and attitudes that destroyed the Ivory-billed Woodpecker's habitat and endangered this remarkable bird. Though it was published for a young adult audience, the passion and tension of the narrative and sophisticated writing makes it a engaging read for any intelligent reader; I sent a copy to my Grandfather, a birder. (Everyone else should expect it for Christmas.) This is a beautifully written (and illustrated) book. I didn't want to put it down...and when it was done, I had to sit for a bit and cry. Powerful stuff.
Forget the drink or the day at a spa--treat yourself to this book.

I take exception to the reviewer who said this book was a ripoff. "The Race to Save the Lord God Bird" is an excellent children's book, and it's not fair to judge it side-by-side with books written for adults. I thought Mr. Hoose's earlier book "It's our World, Too!" is a classic, and "Hey, Little Ant" was one of my daughter's favorite books in kindergarten. Ivory-bill enthusiasts will also enjoy "In Search of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker" by Jerome Jackson, a dedicated scientist who refused against all odds to declare this species extinct. I recommend it.

Hoose presents a beautifully written, thoroughly documented account of the demise of the Ivory Bill. Stunning photographs accompany a text that will appeal to both adult and young readers. Given the recent headlines heralding the rediscovery of the bird in Arkansas (April 2005), the book is that much more satisfying!

I am a children's book professional who consults with schools & libraries and, as such, I read hundreds of new books every year. It is no small compliment, then, when I say that The Race to Save the Lord God Bird ranks as one of the best-written, most insightful non-fiction books I have EVER had the pleasure of reading! Who knew that a book about one bird species could be such a captivating page-turner?

Lest you non-birders think that this book is not for you, I'll mention that my interest in the Ivory-billed woodpecker was merely a passing one until I picked up this book, at the urging of several colleagues. Phillip Hoose's remarkable accounting for the life of this one species has since turned that "passing interest" into a passion, compelling me to put this book into the hands of friends, family members, teachers, librarians, and anyone who's expressed even the slightest interest in things science- or history-related.

And NOW, with the announcement that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has been rediscovered, I feel wonderfully grateful to Phillip Hoose for having given so many of us such deep insight into WHY this re-discovery is truly remarkable news! It should be made clear that Hoose's book does not include information about the recent Ivory-billed sightings in Arkansas, because it was published well before the re-discovery was announced. But what The Race to Save the Lord God Bird does include is perhaps even more important -- a wonderfully clear depiction of how we came to "lose" this magnificent bird in the first place and an understanding of the mistakes we cannot allow ourselves to make again.

Do not dismiss this as being a book for "children," as it is anything but. It is a book for EVERYONE, and everyone you give it to will be thanking you for putting it into their hands.