Wild Turkeys

Children's Literature

It is a tradition for the president of the United States to "officially pardon" a wild turkey near Thanksgiving Day in order to return it to its home in the wild. This tradition may have been the brainchild of President Theodore Roosevelt who passed the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act in 1937 in an attempt to save the wild bird from extinction. The wild turkey has existed for more than eleven million years and has been domesticated for nearly five hundred years. Although it is a bird with many natural defenses (keen eyesight, acute hearing, camouflage, and flight speed), it has been an easy prey for humans for centuries. For this reason alone, the wild turkey has been in a long fight for survival. This book goes into detail about this very issue. Readers will learn the failures and successes of official programs designed to protect the bird. The information can get heavy at times and will most likely overwhelm the reader looking for "fun facts" about the bird. Photographs throughout the text are entertaining, bringing some whimsicality to the read. It is part of the "Returning to Wildlife" series. 2003, KidHaven Press,
— Andrea Sears Andrews