Every April, the Westman Islands off the coast of Iceland become home to hundreds of thousands of puffins, small black-and-white seabirds with colorful bills. They spend the summer on the rocky cliffs of the islands, caring for their newly hatched chicks. By the middle of August, it is time for the young puffins, called pufflings, to make their way to the sea. And that is when the children of The Puffling Patrol are called to action.
Ted and Betsy Lewin have journeyed to the Westman Islands to experience The Puffling Patrol’s endeavors firsthand. In the company of Erna, Dáni, and their father, they drive through town at night, carefully searching for confused little birds that have glided down onto the streets instead of out to sea. Will the children find the pufflings before the birds encounter danger? Will the pufflings ever make it to the sea to spend their lives with other puffins in the North Atlantic Ocean?
The fascinating story of this unique annual rescue, combined with Ted Lewin’s dramatic paintings and Betsy Lewin’s lively field sketches, is sure to make Puffling Patrol a hit with animal lovers of all ages.
Ted Lewin and his wife, Betsy, have been traveling the world together for decades and have chronicled many of their wide-ranging adventures in books for young readers. In addition to Puffling Patrol, their most recent collaborations were Balarama: A Royal Elephant and Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia, both published by Lee & Low Books.
Ted and Betsy have both won countless awards and honors for their books. Ted was awarded a Caldecott Medal Honor in 1994 for Peppe the Lamplighter. When not teaching, visiting with young fans, or traveling, the Lewins are usually drawing and painting in their Brooklyn, New York, home studios.
Booktalk with Ted and Betsy Lewin
Young People's Pavilion 