SPRINGTIME STORKS

Munro draws from actual events for this story of Katerina and Luka, a monogamous stork couple whose bond endures even the harshest setback.

During the birds’ southward migration, Katerina is shot down over a village. A farmer and a little girl rescue her, bring her home, and nurse her back to health. Her mate remains nearby, afraid to approach, but eventually comes to her. Katerina, unable to fly, urges Luka to leave before winter. He returns late the next spring. They have three chicks together, and before Luka leaves again, he promises to return early next spring with their children, “when the magnolias bloom.” The real story, recounted in the author’s note, is somewhat different but still focuses on the couple’s fidelity. Munro explains that a bird named Malena was shot while traveling from Croatia to South Africa, 8,000 miles away; a villager cared for her and built her a nest on the roof of his house. A male stork, Klepetan, noticed Malena, and the two formed a relationship. Klepetan would migrate but return to her each spring, year after year. Livestreamed video kept the world apprised of their activities. Narrated by Katerina, the story is both immediate and tender, ideal for individual and group sharing. The large white birds with orange beaks swoop gracefully across green fields in attractive naïve-style illustrations rendered in chalk pastel, colored pencil, and digital pencil.

This arresting long-distance tale of animal devotion will captivate readers, especially bird lovers.