Duet
Our Journey in Song with the Northern Mockingbird
By Phillip Hoose
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
The world’s greatest singer is right outside your window. But you have to notice.
The Northern mockingbird’s brilliant song―a loud, bright, liquid sampling of musical notes and phrases―has made it a beloved companion and the official bird of five states.
Mockingbirds have followed human settlement for centuries. Many Native American myths and legends feature mockingbirds, often teaching humans to speak. Thomas Jefferson’s mockingbird, Dick, was the first White House pet. John James Audubon’s portrait of a rattlesnake raiding a mockingbird’s nest sparked outrage in the world of art. Atticus Finch’s somber warning to his children, “Remember, it’s a sin to kill a Mockingbird,” is known throughout the world. Some jazz musicians credit mockingbirds with teaching them a four-note call that says, “Break’s over.” And mockingjays―a hybrid between jabberjays and mockers―are a symbol of the rebel cause in the Hunger Games trilogy.
But in the early 1900s, the mocker was plummeting toward extinction. Thousands had been trapped and caged. Something had to be done. To the rescue came a powerful group of wealthy society ladies.
Now, National Book Award and Newbery honor-winning nonfiction master Phillip Hoose brings the story of the important and overlooked connection between humans and mockingbirds―past, present, and future.
Duet is a case study in courage, resilience, and the power of song. As author Steve Sheinkin puts it, “This book will change how you listen to the world.”
Awards & Accolades
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- School Library Journal, Starred Review
★ “A duet is a piece for two voices, and award-winning author Hoose provides a new perspective into an amazing bird and its place in American cultural history…a delight to read. Recommend for all libraries for a fresh look at the impact on native species of the settlement of America.” —School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Aspiring naturalists and bird watchers will easily zoom in on chapters that offer the deeper dives into bird research and will appreciate chapter-aligned source notes and an index.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Through loosely connected historical vignettes, Hoose capably paints a straightforward picture of the northern mockingbird, its species history, and its impact on the world.” —Publishers Weekly
“[Hoose] discusses the species’ endangerment and efforts to save it as well as the mockingbird’s current state, how it’s adapting during climate change, and practices humans can make to support it. Related photos expand reader familiarity with this at once iconic yet lesser-known bird.” —Booklist
“[W]ith breadth of scope and liveliness of prose . . . will likely leave readers with new appreciation for this common backyard bird.” —Horn Book Magazine
”Just as a mockingbird weaves snatches of melody from hundreds of sources to create its own flood of song, Phillip Hoose in Duet knits together science, history and folklore to tell the remarkably tangled story of humans and mockingbirds—how we loved this bird almost to death, brought it back from the brink just in time, and now get to share our backyards with one of the world’s greatest singers.” —Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the Wing
“Hoose’s passion for his subject comes singing through—this book will change how you listen to the world!” —Steve Sheinkin, National Book Award finalist author of Bomb and Most Dangerous
“Hoose writes a passionate ode to our shared history with the northern mockingbird.” —Rebecca E. F. Barone, author of Race to the Bottom of the Earth
“Hoose writes about the mockingbird with heart, intelligence, and enthusiasm. I learned so much! I was especially bowled over by the research in the last chapter—but I won’t give it away!” —Deborah Heiligman, award-winning author of Charles and Emma: The Darwin’s Leap of Faith
Awards & Accolades
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- School Library Journal, Starred Review
