Ava: A Year of
Adventure in the Life of an American Avocet
Author: Mandy Kern Illustrator: Onalee Nicklin
ISBN
978-1-7362232-3-9 (hardcover) $19.99
ISBN 978-1-7362232-4-6
(paperback) $13.99
Library
of Congress Control Number 2021935418
JUVENILE NONFICTION
Science
& Nature / Environmental Science & Ecosystems
Animals / Birds
Science
& Nature / Zoology
32 pages, full-color
illustrations Publication: June 2021
Ava
Website – now taking pre-release orders
[Emporia, Kansas, April 2021] Meadowlark Press announces the
upcoming release of
Ava: A Year of Adventure in the Life of an American
Avocet, Summer 2021. Science lessons in a readable, enjoyable format; an
introduction to the importance of wetlands conservation; a study of the
American Avocet, its patterns and behaviors.
Ava is a book for readers
of all ages.
Ava is an American Avocet, a
breed of shorebird who leaves her home at the Laguna Madre and travels 1,000
miles to stay for a season at the largest wetland complex in the interior of
the United States. Cheyenne Bottoms, in the middle of Kansas, is home to
millions of birds who stop during their annual migrations in the spring and
fall, as well as a diverse population of wildlife who make a home there
year-round. As Ava meets her mate and starts a family, readers are introduced
to one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet.
What readers are saying:
“Cheyenne
Bottoms is one of the most important shorebird migration points in the Western
Hemisphere and serves as a key link in a chain of wetlands throughout the
Central Flyways. Historically, as many as 500,000 shorebirds used this marsh
during years in which habitat conditions were favorable. Threats to shorebirds
have become more diverse and widespread in recent decades and pose serious
conservation challenges. Unregulated hunting, predators, human disturbance,
habitat loss, and climate change threaten these birds’ survival.”
-Robert Penner, Avian Conservation Manager for The Nature Conservancy
“I learned something from this book! How have I lived in
Kansas my whole life and not realized that shorebirds come here! I could have
used this in my 7th grade ELL geography class. Along with all the science
vocabulary, I could have used it to teach migration and the human impact on the
environment.”
-Ashley Nguyen, Middle School and
High School ESL Teacher
“Thanks for sharing this wonderful book! Quite informative
and beautiful!”
-Tammi Garriott, Kindergarten
Teacher, Sacred Heart Catholic School
“This looks like a book for all ages. Just ‘picture book’
had me thinking for children, but that is not the case. I love the
illustrations.”
-Hazel Hart, Editor
“I think this is a great idea for a book! There is a need
for nonfiction books that kids can understand. This looks like it would be a
good fit for mid to upper elementary students.”
-Sherry Askew, Kansas Public School
Teacher
About the Author:
Kansas Wetlands Education Center Program Specialist Mandy
Kern is passionate about helping others appreciate the natural resources around
them. She enjoys making opportunities for children to connect with the
outdoors, away from electronics and screens. Her first visit to Cheyenne
Bottoms was in seventh-grade science class as a reward for learning to identify
over 100 bird species. Prior to working at the center, she was a high school
agriculture education and science instructor, where including science literacy
was always a priority. Mandy lives on a market farm, where she cultivates her
veggie empire with her husband Joseph and three children, Jonas, Russell, and Maggie.
They are the 6th generation to live on this homestead on the Santa Fe Trail.
They love to go on adventures and especially love to road trip to national
parks. Her favorite bird is the Black-necked Stilt.
About the Illustrator:
Onalee Nicklin is
best known for her fantasy or “storybook” pencil drawings, often depicting
children as mermaids, elves, or characters in a story. She works mostly with
graphite pencils, colored pencils, and sometimes does a little mixed media. “I
hope my work inspires people to use their imagination, to dream, to read,” she
says. She credits most of the development of her skill to the lessons in “Foundations
of Art” from the School of Illustrative Arts, instructor Howard David Johnson. Onalee
lives in a small cottage on a farm near Emporia with her husband, a tuxedo cat,
and numerous species of wildlife. Having always loved fantasy, fairytales, and
storybooks—and inspired by the illustrations of Adrienne Segur—she now crafts
her own whimsical and detailed illustrations.
The Kansas Wetlands Education
Center is dedicated to educating the public about wetland communities,
their importance, and the need for conservation and restoration, with emphasis
on Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. KWEC
accomplishes this through interactive exhibits and interpretation, education
programs, outreach, and fostering partnerships with cooperating
stakeholders. The KWEC, 592 NE K-156 Highway, is at the southeast side of
Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, northeast of Great Bend,
Kansas. Visit https://wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu for
more information.
Ava: A Year of Adventure in
the Life of an American Avocet was made possible by funds from the Dorothy
M. Morrison Foundation, a private foundation serving the Barton County, Kansas
area.
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