When The Storks Came Home

By Author / Illustrator

Isabella Tree, Alexandra Finkeldey

Genre

Environment

Age range(s)

Publisher

The Ivy Press

ISBN

9780711272774

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-09-2022

Synopsis

When The Storks Came Home is a charming, fictionalised retelling of the successful reintroduction of the white stork at the Knepp Estate, a UK native bird which has been brought back from extinction. In this second picture book from bestselling author and globally significant conservationist Isabella Tree, we meet eight-year-old Beanie, who loves birds. When she discovers that huge white storks used to live in her own village but were hunted to extinction in the UK 600 years ago, she is determined to find a way to bring them back. But reintroducing a vanished species is not so simple! Storks can fly hundreds of miles, so releasing storks into the local countryside won't be enough to make them return and stay for good. With the help of other villagers, Beanie hatches a plan...

Beautiful illustrations help bring this powerful and important story to life, teaching children about conservation and their environment in an accessible way.

Ivy Kids brings you beautiful, sustainably printed books to rewild your child, nurture creativity, and foster a deep connection with the living world.

See also: When We Went Wild by Isabella Tree

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Reviews

When the Storks Came Home is an incredible, fictionalised retelling of a true nature story; that of the reintroduction of white storks in the UK. These incredible birds have been brought back from the brink of extinction; 600 years ago their numbers dwindled due to human hunting.

In the story, we meet Beanie, a young girl who is passionate about the environment, in particular birds. She is determined to help white storks make their home back in her village and, with the help of her friend from the bird reserve and local villagers, they hatch a plan for a successful reintroduction. While reading this book, my daughter grasped the real-life importance of the story and afterwards we spoke of other species that have been saved from extinction as well as those that were not so fortunate. The illustrations are soft, gentle and utterly beautiful and help build a deeper connection with the important meaning of the story.

This book is a very accessible way to introduce conservation to children. The book itself is printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and the publishers, Ivy kids Books, won the Sustainability Award at the Independent Publishers Awards 2022. There is something in this story for all ages, I enjoyed it as much as my six-year old did and I would highly recommend it for nature-loving families.

Picture book / Reviewed by Jemma Jeffrey, teacher