Ride the Wind

A heartfelt story of a father and a son, of grief and reconnection—and an albatross who needs to find her way home.

Javier has a secret. On one of his father’s fishing trips, still hurting from the loss of his mother, he finds an albatross caught on the hooks—alive, if only barely. Against the orders of his father, who has been distant and disparaging, Javier smuggles the bird to safety and begins nursing it back to health. Every day the albatross accepts a little more food, but she shows no sign of wanting to use her wings. And if Javier's new friend refuses to fly, how will she ever find her way home? From award-winning author Nicola Davies, with dramatic watercolors by Salvatore Rubbino evoking the setting of Chiloé Archipelago, off the coast of Chile, comes a stirring tale of loss, loneliness, and the power of empathy.

Nicola Davies is a zoologist and award-winning author whose many books for children include Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature, illustrated by Mark Hearld; Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth, illustrated by Emily Sutton; and The Day War Came, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. Nicola Davies lives in Wales.

Salvatore Rubbino is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including A Walk in New York, Just Ducks!, written by Nicola Davies, which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal, and Our Very Own Dog, written by Amanda McCardie. He lives in London.