Children's books and fictional accounts on albatrosses and petrels

 Introduction

Section 6 of the Action Plan of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels covers the subject of education and public awareness.  Subsection 6.2 calls for Parties to "seek to make local communities and the public in general more aware of the status of albatrosses and petrels and the threats facing them".

A very important part of raising public awareness is to educate the young.  One way that the conservation message can be put across is by the way of children's books.  However, although there is a plethora of children's books on penguins, there are far fewer on albatrosses and most especially on petrels and shearwaters, including those species listed within ACAP.

Accordingly, and starting with the help of Hilary Shibata, Antarctic Bibliographer at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, the following list was been compiled and continues to be updated. Click on REVIEW to access reviews of more recent titles in ACAP Latest News.

ACAP would be pleased to hear bibliographic details of other children's books and fictional accounts on procellariiform seabirds, in any language.  Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with information.

List of Children's Books

Auman, Heidi 20.  Garbage Guts.  Indianapolis: Dog Ear Publishing.  60 pp.  ISBN 978-1-4575-3055-5.  www.dogearpublishing.net. REVIEW

Bennetts, J.M. 2007.  Where's Titi?  New Zealand Endangered Species Series Book 3.  Emjay Publishing.  21 pp. (Hutton's Shearwater).  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wheres-Titi-Zealand-Endangered-Species-ebook/dp/B005OGZT8S

Bolton, Bill & Shaw, Mark 2011.  I Can't Fly! an E-book.  22 pp. REVIEW

Brownlie, Betty 1995. The Life Cycle of the Royal Albatross. Auckland: Ashton Scholastic. 32 pp. ISBN 1-86943-202-9.

Dewey, Jennifer Owings 1989.  Birds of Antarctica: the Wandering Albatross. London: Little, Brown. 47 pp. ISBN 0-31618-209-5.

Dierker, Susan 2014. Albatross of Kaua'i, The Story of Kaloakulua.  Hanalei: Done By Dogs Publishing.  44 pp.  ISBN 978-0-9832386-2-1.  www.AlbatrossOfKauai.com.  REVIEW  Available free on line

Gill, M. & Mouldey, G.2017. Toroa's Journey. Nelson: Potter & Burton. 32 + 8 pp. ISBN 9780947503536. http://www.pottonandburton.co.nz/store/books/children/toroa-s-journey REVIEW

Hapuku School 2004.  Kaikōura Tītī. Kaikōura, New Zealand: Hapuku School. 31 pp. ISBN 0-473-11022-9. [Bilingual English and Maori; on Hutton's Shearwater Puffinus huttoni]. 

Hasegawa, H. 1995.  Kaze ni Nore! Ahodori (Ride on the Wind! Short-tailed Albatross). Tokyo: Froebel-kan.  104 pp. (in Japanese). 

Hoff, Syd 1961.  Albert the Albatross.  New York: Harper Collins. 32 pp. ISBN 978006022462.

James, Nikki & Mackintosh, Richard 2009.  Allie makes a Difference.  Wynberg: Don Nelson Publishers. 104 pp. ISBN 978-1-86806-278-2. REVIEW

Knowles, Bryan 2012.  Where Albatross Soar: A Beachside Story of Waves & Storms.  Illustrations by Sherwin Mina.  San Clemente: Swell Read Books.  ISBN 978-0-615-63220-9.  www.WhereAlbatrossSoar.com. REVIEW

Lawrence, Kate 2019. Molly and the Monsters of Gough Island.  Written and published for children by Kate Lawrence.  Illustrations and photographs by Jaimie Cleeland & Kate Lawrence.  30 pp.  REVIEW.

Liddle, Ali 2008. Albatross Art and Craft Activities.  London: Falklands Conservation. 41 pp. ISBN 978-0-9538271-2-2.

Loebel-Fried, C. 2017.  A Perfect Day for an Albatross. Apex: Cornell Lab Publishing Group. Unpaginated [40 pp.]. ISBN 978-1-943645-27-5.  Hardcover, many colour illustrations. USD 15.95. www.cornelllabpg.com.  REVIEW

Luhis, H. 1928(?).  The Home of the Wandering Albatross: a South African Story for Children.  Illustrations by Ida Luhis Rosseinsky.  Cape Town : Juta & Co.  95 pp.

McQuilken, J. 2010.  The Mists of Time. The Amazing Story of Cymba, the Wandering Albatross from the Islands of South Georgia. York: Sessions of York, England.  160 pp, 15 colour photographs.  ISBN 978-1-85072-409-4. http://www.sght.org/.  REVIEW

Newton, Linda & Newton, Warren 1995.  Floss the Wandering Albatross. Elphinstone, Victoria: Waterhole Publications. 47 pp. ISBN 0-646-24-112-5.

Pattison, Darcy & Harvill, Kitty 2012.  Wisdom the Midway Albatross: Surviving the Japanese Tsunami and other Disasters for over 60 Years.  Little Rock: Mims House. 28 pp.  ISBN 978097862175.  http://wisdom.darcypattison.com/albatross/albatrosses/

Riddell, Te Aorere 2003. Toroa, the Royal Albatross. Wellington: Huia Publishers. 33 pp. ISBN 1-877283-89-4. [First published in a Maori language edition]. www.huia.co.nz.

Roberts, Sheri  E. & Volkert, Susan L. 2009.   Live to Fly, Fly to Live.  The Story of Lucy Albatross & Little Ollie.  Atlanta:  Pickle Family Press. 103 pp.  ISBN 9781456517083.  http://www.handinmind.com/Pages/AlbatrossChildrensbook.aspx.  REVIEW

Roberts, Sheri E. & Cohen-Legge, Janie  2012.  A Companion Guide for using Live to Fly, Fly to Live. The Story of Lucy Albatross and Little Ollie at Home and in the Classroom. 120 pp.; ISBN 9781467940771. 
http://www.handinmind.com/Pages/AlbatrossChildrensbook.aspx.

SEO/BirdLife & de los Ríos, Carlos [no date]. Les Aventures del Virot Miquelet. Conselleria de Medi Ambient, Govern de les Illes Balears & SEO/BirdLife. pp. 15. [comic book in Spanish on the Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus].

Todd, Barbara 2002. Nature Kids.  The Albatross.  Auckland:  Reed Children's Books. 25 pp. ISBN 1-86948-713-3. www.reed.co.nz.

Todd, Barbara 2004.  The Albatross.  Auckland:  Reed Children's Books. 40 pp. ISBN 1-86948-782-6. www.reed.co.nz.

Waid, Robert & Waid, Joyce 2010.  Baby Winston.  55 pp.  On-line at http://albatrosskauai.com/index.html.

Last updated 14 September 2020