Duet: Our Journey in Song with the Northern Mockingbird

by Phillip Hoose

Overview

The story of the impactful partnership between humans and mockingbirds, both scientifically and culturally over the centuries, written for young adults by award-winning nonfiction powerhouse Phil Hoose.

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. Many of our favorite songs and poems feature mockingbirds.

Mockingbirds have been companions to humans 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. Too many had been trapped, sold, and caged. Something had to be done. To the rescue came a powerful and determined group of women.

Now, National Book Award and Newbery honor-winner Phillip Hoose brings the story of the important and overlooked connection between humans and mockingbirds—past, present, and future. It is the third volume of his bird trilogy.

Duet is a study in the power of song. As author Steve Sheinkin puts it, “This book will change how you listen to the world.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374388775
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	09/13/2022
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	705,172
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1120L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Phillip Hoose is the author of Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, a National Book Award winner and a Newbery Honor Book. His other books include Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95, a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book; The Boys Who Challenged Hitler, also a Sibert Honor and Boston Globe–Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Winner; We Were There, Too!, a National Book Award finalist; and Hey, Little Ant, co-written with his daughter Hannah, winner of a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. For 37 years he worked for the Nature Conservancy, which saves ecosystems and rare species throughout the world. He continues to enjoy observing a wide variety of bird species. Mr. Hoose lives in Portland, Maine.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What's That Sound? 3

Chapter 1 Four Hundred Tongues: Mockingbirds and Native Americans 11

Chapter 2 Settlers, Explorers, and Mock-Birds: 1492 to 1750 17

Chapter 3 "Dick Signs": Thomas Jefferson and the First White House Pet, 1803 25

Chapter 4 Mocker v. Nightingale-Full-Throated Rivalry: Colonial Period 33

Chapter 5 A Rattlesnake Climbs a Tree: Audubon, Wilson, and Plate 21, 1827 39

Chapter 6 Turning Point: Charles Darwin and the Galápagos Mockingbirds, 1835 47

Chapter 7 Listening to the Mockingbird: Septimus Winner and Richard Milburn, 1855 57

Chapter 8 A Visit to High Street Market: Philadelphia, Mid-19th Century 63

Chapter 9 Parrott Shells and Minié Balls: The Mocker in the Civil War, 1861 to 1865 69

Chapter 10 Women to the Rescue: 1865 to 1918 75

Chapter 11 Hush, Little Baby: 1918 to 1937 83

Chapter 12 Amelia Laskey, Citizen Scientist: 1920s to 1970s 89

Chapter 13 To Kill a Mockingbird: 1960 99

Chapter 14 Improvising: Mockers on the Move, 20th and 21st Centuries 103

Chapter 15 "They Know Me!": The Genius of Mockingbirds, 2007 111

Epilogue 117

What You Can Do to Help Mockingbirdgs and Other Songbirds 123

Acknowledgments 126

Source Notes 128

Index 137

Editorial Reviews

08/08/2022

In an accessible volume, Hoose (The Race to Save the Lord God Bird) chronicles the scientific and cultural interconnectedness of humankind and versatile avian songsmith the northern mockingbird. The fowl—whose scientific name, Mimus polyglottos, means “many-tongued mimic”—can learn over 200 songs in its lifetime; its singing prowess is facilitated by the syrinx, an organ “not much bigger than a raindrop,” which enables complex vocalizations inimitable by humans. The opening chapter, “Four Hundred Tongues,” sets the stage for some of the earliest tales featuring the mockingbird, outlining myriad Indigenous stories from Cherokee, Hopi, Maricopa, and Zuñi peoples, among others. Some purport that specific languages were developed via mockingbird vocals; others indicate that the birds watch over the dead. The bird’s singing ability also made it highly revered by many historical figures, including Charles Darwin, Harriet Hemenway, and Thomas Jefferson. Through loosely connected historical vignettes, Hoose capably paints a straightforward picture of the northern mockingbird, its species history, and its impact on the world, positing that “to kill a mockingbird would be to destroy a duet.” Color photographs feature throughout; source notes and further information conclude. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennie Dunham, Dunham Literary. (Sept.) ■

Publishers Weekly

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"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

"[W]ith breadth of scope and liveliness of prose . . . will likely leave readers with new appreciation for this common backyard bird." —Horn Book Magazine

“[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

"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

"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

"A pleasure to read . . . sure to delight history buffs and bird-lovers alike." —Gulo in Nature

”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

Praise for Moonbird:
“Only the truly hard of heart could resist cheering for B95.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

“[An] effective mix of facts and conjecture . . . Vivid.” —The Washington Post

“Hoose’s fascinating account concerns much more than this one bird.” —Horn Book, starred review

“Hoose’s stature as a preeminent nonfiction author combined with the high-interest animal hook will generate hearty attention and enthusiasm for this one.” —Booklist, starred review

“Readers will appreciate Hoose’s thorough approach in contextualizing this amazing, itinerant creature.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Praise for The Race to Save the Lord God Bird:
“Outstanding in every way.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The author’s passion for his subject and high standards for excellence result in readable, compelling nonfiction.” —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2022

Gr 9 Up—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. Revered in Native American folk tales for its seemingly unending supply of songs, the Northern mockingbird likewise enchanted American settlers. But its unique ability to replicate other bird songs and sing fragments of those songs for hours on end, day and night, brought it close to extirpation. Its singing became so popular that it was hunted, caged, and sold to fill households with song. President Thomas Jefferson even had one in his White House office. Despite the overhunting and loss of habitat as farms and towns replaced its native woodlands, the popular mockingbird thrived. Full-color photographs of the mockingbird in action and reproductions of early illustrations, even the sheet music that celebrated the mockingbird, amplify the engaging narrative. Tips on respecting the environmental needs of birds to help ensure their survival are included. Index not seen. VERDICT A delight to read. Recommend for all libraries for a fresh look at the impact on native species of the settlement of America.—Frances E. Millhouser

School Library Journal

2022-06-22
A select overview of the northern mockingbird in human history.

The book tries to make the case for a “duet” of mockingbird-human relationships throughout history: The mockingbird provides entertainment, while the human provides sustenance and a willing appreciation. However, Hoose doesn’t quite sell it. Arranged in short chapters with color photographs, snippets of human interactions with mockingbirds are presented loosely chronologically, beginning with Native American references to mockingbirds and ending with 21st-century studies on the birds’ being able to recognize specific humans. Along the way, readers learn a little bit about Thomas Jefferson’s fondness for mockingbirds, songs that reference mockingbirds, the effect of the Civil War on birds, the caged bird trade, women who advocated for bird protection, and Charles Darwin, who observed mockingbirds on the Galápagos Islands, among others. Unfortunately, the stories are either presented too superficially or are too limited in depth to begin with to have any great impact, and beyond their chronological order, there is no buildup to a conclusion other than that the mockingbird population (like all birds) is declining, although they are not officially endangered. The book has a decidedly anthropocentric feel to it—the overarching sentiment seems to be that the mockingbird’s primary value lies in its ability to entertain humans with its singing. While the source notes for each chapter give the author’s references, some of the stories nonetheless feel more romanticized than historical.

A mishmash of folklore and history lite that doesn’t quite get off the ground. (index) (Nonfiction. 12-15)

Kirkus Reviews