Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The true story of the friendship between a human family and a large, flightless bird. Amica is a rhea--a flightless bird in the ratite family, related to ostriches, emus, and kiwis. Amica was adopted as a young chick and in turn quickly adopted mother and son Meadow and Washo Shadowhawk as his flock and made himself at home in their living room.
Now an adult, Amica stands nearly six feet tall, and has a six-foot wingspan. By day he roams the backyard, exploring, running, and building nests, along with his friends the chickens and the dog. At night, he watches television and sleeps in the living room with his friend the cat.
What's it like living with a rhea? As you'll discover in the words and photos in this book, it is never boring, and requires massive sacrifices. Rheas, which are typically hunted or raised as livestock, are highly intelligent and expressive, with a humanlike range of emotions. Amica's extraordinary story shows the powerful and surprising connections that can be forged between humans and animals.
Synopsis
The true story in words and photographs of Amica, a large, flightless bird called a rhea, who is rescued and raised by a family in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. Mother and son Meadow and Washo Shadowhawk use words and photos to explore the history of rheas, which are primarily seen as livestock, as well as their family's experience raising one. They call on us to question the way we raise livestock, and call on us to treat all animals as humanely as possible. Featuring an introduction by acclaimed primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall.