Tibbles the Cat
by Michal Šanda, David Dolenský (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

In this true story, a lighthouse keeper brings his pet cat to a small island off the coast of New Zealand. One day the cat brings him a dead bird, and the lighthouse keeper is intrigued. He’s never seen a bird like it before. He sends it to a museum, and they declare that a new species of bird has been discovered. They name it the Stephens Island wren. It captures the attention of a great ornithologist who publishes about the bird, and they organize an expedition for a group of scientists to travel to Stephens Island and study the bird. By the time they get there, they cannot find a single wren. Tibbles the cat has hunted them to extinction.

It’s a cautionary tale about introducing a new animal to an ecosystem, in this case a predatory cat. It was really interesting learning about the true history of this little bird and how one cat brought about the extinction of an entire species.

I loved learning about the different scientists and their contributions to history! The illustrations are delightful. I love the unique art style with bold lines and deep colors. The writing is rather dry, but still kept my interest.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.