New picture book teaches about lives of albatrosses

Award-winning author and artist Caren Loebel-Fried considers herself a conservationist and uses her books and artwork to encourage people to take care of the world around them.

Her latest picture book, “A Perfect Day for an Albatross” (Cornell Lab Publishing Group, $15.95), shares the tale of Malie, an albatross at Midway Atoll who dances with her mate, cares for her egg and soars over the open ocean hunting for food. Loebel-Fried’s bold illustrations are made using rubber block prints that are first printed in black ink and then colored ink applied by hand, a skill she learned from her mother.

Loebel-Fried, who lives in Volcano on Hawaii island, spent five weeks on the secluded islands of Midway Atoll as she counted and researched albatrosses, where more than 70 percent of the birds make their nests.

“I fell in love with the albatrosses and wanted to create a compelling story that also teaches about their lives and threats to their future,” she said.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology put together a teachers guide for the book that can be downloaded at birdsleuth.org/perfectday.