Clare Hodgson Meeker

I never really got the love of primates - I usually skip them at the zoo, maybe because they look too human? But kids certainly do love stories about these fascinating and endangered animals and continuing interest in fiction like The One and Only Ivan makes these a popular reading choice.

Meeker presents the true story of a baby gorilla, interwoven with science and how zoos work to preserve species in as natural a habitat as possible. The story begins at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, when a new baby gorilla is born. But the mother, Nadiri, had been raised by humans for almost a year after her mother rejected her and then given to a surrogate. Would she know how to care for a baby? Slowly, patiently, Harmony Frazier works to help Nadiri adjust to her new baby. Frazier raised Nadiri until a surrogate could be found, but she wanted to end the cycle of human-raised gorillas, who didn't know how to care for their young.

Readers will follow the story of Nadiri and her baby, Yola, as she slowly becomes accustomed to her and finally, after months of work with the keepers, accepts and protects her. Frazier and the other keepers went to extraordinary lengths, even caring for Yola around the clock in the gorilla's dens, to keep her as close to her family as possible. Along the way, readers will learn about gorilla behavior and the specific behavior of Nadiri's family, which changed after the birth of her baby. The story ends with Yola at seven months, fully in the case of her mother and accepted into the gorilla troop.

Back matter includes a detailed comparison of gorillas and humans, a discussion of how gorillas are endangered, and author's note. There are also acknowledgements, a glossary, further resources, and an index.

While I felt the ending was somewhat abrupt, this is a fascinating look into the family life of gorillas in captivity as well as a thoughtful discussion of how zoos have changed the way they handle gorillas (and other infants) over the years.

Verdict: Hand this to middle grade readers who are fascinated by zoos and apes, and to anyone interested in how zoos raise baby animals. Recommended.

ISBN: 978154154240; Published September 2019 by Millbrook/Lerner; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library… (mehr)

Meeker, Claire. A Tale of Two Rice Birds. (1994). Seattle: Sasquatch Books.

A father rice bird foolishly stay near the lotus blossoms eating their nectar too long and he is trapped inside when the petals close while the sun is out, he can’t save his children who die when their home tree catches fire and burns their nest. When he returns, his wife is so angry with him that she kills herself, hoping that when she comes back, she will be human and so she can never speak to another man again. The father asks the gods to bring him back near her also as a human and to let them love each other again, and he also kills himself. They both come as humans; she is a princess and he is a framer who lives nearby. Her father is concerned that she never speaks to men and arranges with suitors that if any man can get her to speak, he may marry her. Several suitors fail, but the farmer, who has fallen in love with her successfully tricks her into speaking. She is charmed by him. They marry and their love grows, and they adopt the lotus blossom as a symbol of their love, which blooms over and over.

This is a charming story that older elementary students will enjoy. What is unique and shocking, really, is the argument and suicides of the bird father and mother so earlier in the story. This is as unexpected as the clever trick the farmer later uses to trick the princess into speaking. This is a touching story with string, vibrant illustrations that bring out the color in the story.… (mehr)