








Wisdom, the Midway Albatross | Starred PW
by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Kitty Harvill
32pp, 8.5" x 8.5", 780L
Regular price
$12.00
Sale price
$11.99
Unit price per
- Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly
- Watch the full length video on Youtube
Celebrate World Albatross Day - June 19
Wisdom, the Midway Albatross—the oldest bird in the world—hatched a new chick in 2011, and two months later, the Japanese tsunami struck. Surviving manmade and natural disasters for over 60 years, Wisdom has braved living wild, plastic pollution, longline fishing, lead poisoning, and the Japanese earthquake.
In this “Biography in Text and Art,” Harvill takes original photos as references to create accurate wildlife illustrations. These aren’t generic birds, but one particular individual in detail. Pattison’s careful research, vetted by scientists in the field, brings to life this this true story of an infant cub that must face a complicated world alone—and find a way to survive.
Banded Since 1956 - How Old is Wisdom?
On December 10, 1956, ornithologist Chandler Robbins banded 25 birds on Midway Island. One of those was Wisdom. She's been caught and given new bands seven times. There are older birds in captivity; there are probably older birds that didn't get banded. But Wisdom is the oldest known, wild bird in the world. They assumed she was five years old at the time of banding, because to breed and lay eggs, Laysan albatrosses must be at least five years old. That makes her at least 70 years old! Wow!
OTHER BOOKS BY PATTISON/HARVILL
Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub 2015 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book
Customer Reviews
FAQ
CUSTOM-PRINTED IN AMERICA
- Hardcover or paperback
MIMS HOUSE is a U.S. boutique publisher of children's books. When you order a Mims House book, it is custom-printed just for you in North Carolina. We create your custom book by printing and binding it with the highest quality materials.- Custom Printing for each book
- FSC certified environmentally safe paper
- Environmentally safe inks
- No waste or warehousing of thousands of books printed overseas

Our custom process means a longer wait time to read your book.
We don't apologize! The quality is worth the wait. And the environment is worth the wait.
(But we can suggest an ebook if you want to read something, like, RIGHT NOW!)
T-shirts are also custom printed in the United States.
BOOK SHIPPING
We could hire a super-hero or super-heroine to fly these books directly to you! Instead, we lovingly custom print and then ship as quickly as possible. When you check out, you’ll have a choice of two shipping methods:
- Mail - 7-10 days delivery. $4.99, or $9.99 for orders $50+
- Priority Shipping - 5-7 days delivery. $9.99 for orders under $25; $11.49 for orders $25-49; $15.99 for orders 50-$149. $19.99 for orders $150+
STOP THE PRESSES! REFUNDS POLICY
We can't yell, "STOP THE PRESSES!" Each book, T-shirt or sticker is created just for you, so please be sure you've ordered the correct item. We guarantee 100% satisfaction. If your book, t-shirt or sticker has been misprinted in some way or damaged in shipping, please send a photo to suefoster@mimshousebooks.com We'll immediately order a new custom printing to ship to you. For returns, please email suefoster@mimshousebooks.com for instructions.
Choosing the right book for the right reader.
Our books are appropriate for elementary or middle school students ages 5-14. Lexile reading levels appear on each book page. Read this post for more information on helping your student choose a great book.
Purchase Orders & Volume Discounts
Please contact SueFoster@mimshousebooks.com for a quote.
#MimsKids -
Follow us on social media with the hashtag, #MimsKids.eBOOKS and AUDIOBOOKS
Our digital books are delivered by Bookfunnel.com, a company that specializes in making sure you can read or listen to your book on the device of your choice. They own a copy of each of the 100 or so ebook readers ever made. And they’ve tested delivery of ebooks and audiobooks on each of them. They are friendly and happy to help you to move the ebook or audiobook onto your device. If you're not satisfied, we'll gladly refund ebook and audiobooks for three days after purchase. Orders older than three days will not be refunded. Contact SueFoster@mimshouse.com