Like its subject, THE HUMMINGBIRDS’ GIFT is a little jewel of a book. As an educator, I have valued Sy Montgomery’s many quality nonfiction titles about animals for children and used them in my classroom. Her latest is aimed at adults, although younger people could certainly benefit from reading it. In fact, an earlier version of it served as a chapter in one of Montgomery's books about birds.

Montgomery tells the story of Brenda Sherburn, a hummingbird rehabilitator, and two of the countless hummingbirds that she rescued. The rehabilitation of these babies, saved almost miraculously from starvation in their nest, and then again by Brenda, was witnessed by Montgomery firsthand. Brenda invited Montgomery to assist in their efforts, and her narration of these events is thrilling.

"Like its subject, THE HUMMINGBIRDS’ GIFT is a little jewel of a book.... When Maya and Zuni are set free, we find ourselves truly caring about their fate. We want them to survive and be strong."

When Maya and Zuni arrived at Brenda's home, they were the size of bumblebees. They were at death's door, featherless and weak. Everything about them was delicate, and Montgomery describes their fragility in detail. Each was less than an inch and a half long, with, as one rehabilitator described it, "thread-like" feet.

The hummingbirds are given 200 fruit flies, "caught fresh, crushed with a mortar and pestle, then mixed with a special nectar supplemented with vitamins, enzymes, and oils." They have to be fed every 20 minutes from dawn to dusk, which is not a simple task. From 8:30pm to 5:30am, their caretaker must strictly adhere to this schedule.

Even if these hummingbirds live, there are many dangers that they face in the world --- not only from the predators we might expect, like hawks, crows and raccoons, but also surprising ones, like the dragonfly and the praying mantis. Fire ants and wasps sting babies to death in their nest, they can be felled by unseasonable cold, and a huge danger comes from other hummingbirds trying to defend their territory --- or, more accurately, their food supply.

While wildlife rehabilitators usually don't name their charges, Montgomery explains how she convinced Brenda to make an exception in the case of these two hummers. She reveals why they were named Maya and Zuni, and how a number of cultures view these tiny warrior birds who fight desperately and fiercely to protect their own. We learn not only about their physical properties, but also about their personalities as they must find their way in a world that can be frightening for a pair of youngsters who don't have a mother to teach and protect them.

When Maya and Zuni are set free, we find ourselves truly caring about their fate. We want them to survive and be strong. Hummingbirds, as it turns out, are easy to love.