The Bird Thief cover art

The Bird Thief

The Voyage to Jamaica That Changed the Course of Natural History

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The Bird Thief

By: Matthew Olshan, Shadra Strickland
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About this listen

Based on the true story of 19th-century naturalist Philip Henry Gosse's study of Jamaican wildlife, this audiobook inspires empathy for the natural world and all its inhabitants. The Bird Thief is perfect for fans of Jason Chin’s Island and Jacqueline Davies’s The Boy Who Drew Birds.

Isaac loves watching the long-tailed hummingbirds, known as Doctor Birds, that are native to his home island of Jamaica. It’s bad luck to hurt them, as his grandmother says. But that doesn’t stop an Englishman named Mr. Gosse from trapping these marvelous creatures for research.

While his cousin Samuel helps with Mr. Gosse’s work, Isaac vows to set his beloved Doctor Birds free. What follows leads to a stirring change of heart and a trailblazing, more humane approach to the scientific study of nature.

This audiobook about the pioneering British naturalist Philip Henry Gosse (1810-1888) includes afterwords by the author Matthew Olshan and the artist Shadra Strickland, with notes on sources and recommendations for further reading.

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