Katherine Dolan

Bella, the Wildlife Ambassador Katherine Dolan

Narrated by Bella, a wise Newfoundland, Protecting Piping Plovers describes her efforts to understand conflicts between wildlife, people, and pets. Bella is assisted in her work by Katie, her human, and Blue, her son. The endangered Piping Plovers are beautiful shorebirds who return each year to nest on the specific remote beach where they were born. Flying back from wintering grounds, the birds face an evolving mix of wild predators, beach construction near their nesting areas, and harassment by people and pets. Bella meets a young plover, visits a fox family and neighborhood cats, and organizes an appeal to the local Town Council to help protect the tiny shorebirds.

Written for young scientists and their families, "Bella, the Wildlife Ambassador: Protecting Piping Plovers," blends delightful watercolor illustrations with stories about wildlife's challenges. Kirkus Review praises the book "as an engaging environmental message from an endearing canine character" and adds, "Bella has an appealing personality; her protectiveness is touching, and, as an "Ambassador," she's even polite to cats... Dolan presents her ecological message with an effective mix of facts and anthropomorphic storytelling. Oskner's softly shaded watercolor illustrations are lovely and capture the animals' distinctive charms."