Have You Seen Mary? - by Jeff Kurrus (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Distributed by the University of Nebraska Press for Michael Forsberg Photography

". . . and the sky blackened with dark, gray bodies. In the blurry confusion, John lost Mary." So begins Have You Seen Mary?, Jeff Kurrus's fictional account of one sandhill crane's faithful search during spring migration for his lost mate. Set on Nebraska's Platte River, this tenderly woven story of love is also a stirring introduction to these majestic birds, replete with Michael Forsberg's radiant color photographs. This book will appeal to all ages, for it both entertains and educates readers about sandhill cranes.

Review Quotes

"Have You Seen Mary? is an appealing children's story by Jeff Kurrus that blends sandhill crane natural history with Mike Forsberg's spectacular photographs of cranes and their Great Plains wetlands habitats."--Paul Johnsgard, Foundation Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and author of Sandhill and Whooping Cranes

"Have You Seen Mary? is an enchanting love song to Plains wildness, and its fragile, magnificent migrations of feather and heart. It will appeal to both children and adults, taking us all on an unforgettable journey of joy, knowledge, and hope. A beautiful book."--John T. Price, author of Man Killed by Pheasant and Other Kinships

"Jeff Kurrus's words and Michael Forsberg's photographs are teamed here to bring us a remarkable story from the natural world they both cherish. The result is an elegant, touching, and inspiring book to help reconnect our children to nature, and not a moment too late. May there be many more like this to come."--Joel Sartore, author, conservationist, and contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine

"No one has photographed sandhill cranes as thoroughly or as well as Michael Forsberg. Here, author Jeff Kurrus cleverly weaves a story around these images, luring readers young and old into one of nature's great spectacles."--David Bristow, author of Sky Sailors: True Stories of the Balloon Era and editor of Nebraska History magazine

About the Author

Jeff Kurrus is the editor of the award-winning wildlife publication NEBRASKAland magazine. He lives in Gretna, Nebraska, with his wife, Laura, and two-year-old daughter Madeline. Michael Forsberg is an internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer, the author of On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes of North America, and the coauthor of Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife, Patty, and their two daughters, Elsa and Emme.