In spring, Nebraska is treated to the spectacle of thousands of cranes flying over the state. Having wintered over in a number of southern states, the cranes begin their northern journey.
The Platte River Valley is the natural layover for the cranes as they wing their way to Canada and Alaska. But the flight is dangerous for a number of reasons. First, the cranes can become ill and die from the hundreds of miles they have to fly. Second, they can fly into power lines and windmills, which is usually fatal. Finally, they can be killed by predators such as foxes, eagles and coyotes.
Within this enormous migration of cranes are the rare whooping cranes. Nearly extinct 60 years ago, the "whoopers," as they are fondly called, have made a tremendous comeback.
Jeff Kurris has created a fictional account of a pair of sandhill cranes named John and Mary. Since many sandhill cranes mate for life, this is an account of John and Mary losing track of each other on the migration northward. The name of this attractive story is "Have You Seen Mary?"
John and Mary land on the Platte River with thousands of cranes. Most of these sandhill cranes are exhausted and begin eating corn, insects and bugs to regain their strength. They drink deeply from the shallow Platte River, which is ideally suited for the cranes.
John is so tired from flying hundreds of miles from the New Mexico wintering home of the cranes that he just tucks his head under his wing and goes to sleep. Mary has landed in a different part of the Platte and doesn’t know where John is resting.
The next day John watches the cranes take to the air and decides to look for Mary. But it is a fruitless search as he continues flying over Nebraska, looking for Mary. He sees other cranes fighting, dancing and looking for mates. When he asks, no one has any idea where Mary might be.
Depressed, John keeps flying from one Nebraska crane site to another. One day he finds a feather that looks like one of Mary’s. Could it be that she is still alive? Is it possible to still find her in the vast area along the Platte River?
Finally, John decides to fly near the power lines and search for her in this dangerous area. He lands and looks about him at the enormous group of cranes. And then he hears the sweetest sound and his heart jumps. What is this resonance? He turns to look.
What does John see? Does he find his lifelong mate after this painful search?
What has Mary been doing all this while? What does the feather tell John, and why was it left?
Have you ever searched a long time for someone you loved? How did you feel when you found the person you loved? How do John and Mary feel? To find out, go to the library and check out this charming story, "Have You Seen Mary?" by Jeff Kurris.
The writing and the photographs in this book are beautiful. While the love story between John and Mary is refreshing, the real point of the book is to show the life of cranes while they rest on the Platte River. You will find sharing this book with young children to be a special event in your lives. This is a delightful tale that blends a love story of two cranes with the ecology of the cranes on the Platte River. It is just a great book! Enjoy!
