Lundi the Lost Puffin
By Eric Newman |
A New Children’s Book about Iceland
After a visit to Iceland a few years ago, I found myself telling everyone this story. “Did you know that children on the Westman Islands rescue thousands of baby puffins every year?” It’s probably my favorite Iceland story. So I wrote a children’s book about it! Lundi the Lost Puffin is based on this true story.
Every fall, puffin parents leave their babies to start taking care of themselves. The baby puffins (pufflings) have an instinct to fly toward the moon, which would lead them to the ocean and away from the cliff. But the lights of the town of Heimaey on the Westman Islands confuse some of the pufflings, who then end up lost and lonely on land.
But then something amazing happens! Kids who live on Iceland’s Westman Islands look for those lost pufflings in town every August and September. They keep them overnight in little houses they have made for just this purpose, and then take them to the Sea Life Trust. The pufflings are checked out by the team there, and most of the pufflings are healthy enough to be released to the ocean.
Every year, children rescue thousands of pufflings on the Westman Islands. In the fall of 2019, they rescued over 7,500 pufflings!
Lundi the Lost Puffin is available on Amazon, and right now the eBook is at a special introductory price. Amazon Link
Nearly all of the scenery in the book is really from the Westman Islands in Iceland! Check out this real photo I took in Heimaey last summer vs. where Lundi ends up in the book:
We’ve already gotten some wonderful feedback about the book:
“Lundi is a book preschool children will want read over and over.”
“The illustrations were breathtaking.”
“Geared for children, but this grandma enjoyed it too.”
“A perfect little book to read to small children or for bigger children(and adults!) to read to themselves.”
Take a look at the book (Preview Link HERE) or visit us at Iceland With Kids for more information about puffins!
Eric is the owner of Iceland With Kids, an INLUS Member Business.