When I Was a Turkey by Joe Hutto (review)

In an event that later turned into an adult book and then into an Emmy-winning PBS documentary, naturalist Hutto decided, in the early 1990s, to become a wild turkey "mother" by letting two clutches of orphaned eggs hatch out and imprint on him. He then threw himself into the job of rearing his turkeys, teaching them wild turkey calls, taking them out to forage, warning them against dangers, and watching over them as they grew to adulthood. The details are fascinating, ranging from the very specific needs of the eggs to the experiences of the poults (turkey chicks) as they walked along behind their human mama on outdoor outings, expanded their confidence when it came to facing possible predators, and gradually developed interest in the local flock of wild turkeys. However, the writing is often flat and the organization clumsy, leading to confusing repetition of some events and startling leaps through time elsewhere. In addition, the book doesn't clearly distinguish between observation and interpretation, so it's hard to tell sometimes whether a statement ("They were sad to have lost a sibling") is a creative reading of animal behavior or if it is based on specific responses. Hutto's own soft, lovely, and detailed pencil drawings capture the turkeys and other elements of their habitat, while a tipped-in section of photographs add their own take. Despite the flaws, this is an old-fashioned animal story that could engage readers looking for a narrative complement to the Scientists in the Field outings. A glossary and bibliography, including the URL of the PBS documentary itself, are included. DS