Pau: The Last Song of the Kaua’i ‘o’o by Mackenzie Joy, Tony Piedra
Published by Candlewick Press on September 17, 2024
ISBN: 1536219495
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Pau is an ecological history of the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i focusing on its now extinct songbird, the ‘O’O. We follow through the book with sparse and lyrical text over the course of 5.1 million years. Gorgeous illustrations carry the reader as we discover how the island was created and then became inhabited by animals, including the ‘O’O, and plants over time. As changes came to the island so did effects on the population of the ‘O’O. Scientists studied the bird until there was only one and then none.

Each page is listed with the time period it covers and there is extensive back matter providing information on other animals and how they came to the island. While simple in text this book gives a thorough and beautiful look at a serious topic in a poignant manner.

Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian, Lewiston, Maine.