Carol Joy Munro's Springtime Storks: A Migration Love Story tells the story of two storks, Luka and Katerina, who are flying with a flock of storks when Katerina is struck by a bullet. She falls from the sky to the ground. A grandfather and a child run towards the stork. The bullet wasn't meant to hit the stork, but rather another bird in the air. Katerina is carried into their home and treated for her injuries. In the middle of the night, Luka and the other storks gazed into the window to see if Katerina was alright. She cannot continue on with the migration with the rest of the birds and remains in human care. She is well taken care of by them. As spring approaches, they help her build a nest atop their house. In hopes that Luka will come back and find her, Katerina sits in a nest. She spies a stork in the distance one day and it turns out to be Luka. That season, Katerina gives birth to five baby storks. Although she is too injured to join Luka and the rest of the storks on their migration, Luka always returns for her every year.

Based on a real story. The lady stork was shot in the wing and then tended by a local farmer. Her mate had to migrate but came back to her every year for 28 years even as they raised a family on that farm. This is a beautiful story well told.
The illustrations by Chelsea O'Byrne are clear, imaginative, colorful, and meaningful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to EVERYONE, but especially to a school, hospital, or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC on Adobe Digital Editions from Astra Publishing House | Minerva via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Dec 10, 2024

This is a really sweet story with beautiful illustrations. It is inspired by true events and is reminiscent of The Old Man and the Penguin. It would be great for preschoolers and early elementary aged readers who like birds, friendship stories or stories based on true events. The author's note and extra information about birds included after the story provide additional context.

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for this ARC of Springtime Storks by Carol Joy Munro! This is a beautifully illustrated story about two storks Luka and Katerina as they were heading South for the winter, a hunter shot Katerina. A man and his child rescue the stork and help rehabilitate the stork but she is much too injured to travel South and when Spring arrives, Katerina waits and looks for Luka. They help Katerina through her recovery and never give up hope. If you want to know what happens next in this story, it will be available in December 2024!

I think this book does an age-appropriate version of what happens when a bird is shot when looking at the wording and imagery. I may not use this book as a read-aloud since it does discuss that but I would use it for a more personal use with children. I would, however, have this book in my nonfiction section on birds because it is based on a true story and allows students to learn about rehabilitating animals and the impact that has on our wildlife. I enjoyed the author's notes about the story and facts about these particular birds. I think the wording is sweet and the illustrations are wonderful. Thank you again for this ARC!

A poignant story about a rescued stork Malena, and her family.
Telling more than that would be a spoiler.
The pictures are beautiful and style is a good fit to this story.
I am glad this story was turned into a picture book and it has a nature-friendly message.
Please in mind that this is indeed ‘poignant’; if you are for sharing realistic, real-life and poignant stories with younger children, this is for you.
Otherwise, it is a lovely read for 7+ anyways,
With all other beautiful picture books, we wish this had been 30% or so longer.

Springtime Storks is a story based on real events. Storks mate for life and when one is injured or killed, the other lonely stork must navigate life alone. In this story, an injured stork is found by kind villagers and nursed back to health but unable to fly. When spring comes around, the villager puts a nest on his rooftop, and amazingly the injured stork's mate returns. Although unable to fly, she manages to raise chicks continuing the future of an endangered species. The illustrations in the book are delightful with clean lines and bold colors. There is an author's note with more details about storks and the dangers they face from hunters that will be valuable when children want to know more.

This was so nice. Lovely illustrations helped tell the story about this interesting bird and her mate. Nature-loving kids will like it.

NOT ME SOBBING FROM A CHILDREN'S’ BOOK! This is such a sweet story of an injured stork who is cared for by an elderly man and a child as she waits for her friend to arrive back home after his southern migration. The story is beautifully illustrated and so touching, but the part that really got me is the author’s note, explaining how this is based on a true story of two storks who helped brighten the lives of many people over decades and helped forever protect the migratory path of storks in Eastern Europe and Asia!

This was such a sweet book! It felt almost like a fresh and new fairytale, which many kids will absolutely adore. The only thing that I don't think kids would like as much is the beginning. It was sad for me to read, and I believe that it will scare young readers or make them sad, even if the rest of the book is happier. A potential way to make it less sad/scary would be to make the story third-person rather than first-person.
However, the illustrations were serene, beautiful, and perfect for the tone of the story. The way the illustrator worked with gradients and the opposites of soft and bright colors was stunning. Every illustration complemented the story well, without being to over- or underwhelming.
Lastly, I think that it was such a smart idea for the author to take a real-life event and turn it into a kids' story. Both the illustrator and author are very talented and came together to make a really lovely story.
Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the eArc!

This was such a charming story about white storks, a species of bird that doesn’t often get mentioned much, with the exception of the occasional joke about them delivering babies.

Told from the first person narrative of stork Katerina, the story didn’t shy away from the misfortunes the stork endured but was still quick to follow them with the wonderful things she encountered as to not upset young readers. I also greatly appreciated that the story didn’t treat Katerina differently or less than after it was revealed she would never be able to take her migratory journey again. Books like these are often the first steps in having conversations with young ones about disabled individuals and how sometimes everyone has different bodies.

Katerina may have to stay behind every Winter, but she still has a family that loves her and she is still a stork, and that’s important for children to see.

Pair this truly heartwarming story with a gorgeous illustration style and a Spring-themed color palette, and you get this wonderful book. Even the end pages are gorgeous!

I will absolutely be buying this for my library, I think the fact that it’s based on a true story will make students love it all the more.

Oh this book was just darling! My kids love to learn about animals and this book was just such a fun way to learn about migration. The story was precious. Highly suggest