Striking woodcut prints and a spare, lyrical text chronicle a year in the life of a female Arctic tern, who travels more than 50,000 miles on her journey from Antarctica to Alaska’s Arctic coast and back over the course of 12 months. Along the way, she meets her lifelong mate; once at her destination, she “produces a small, round treasure” before—“Crack!”—a chick hatches. Returning south in late summer, she is now part of a family of three. An inset in the upper right corner of most page spreads chronicles her progress on a map of the globe and calendar of the year, detailing her location and the number of miles traveled. Over the course of the journey, the distinctive black and white bird with a red-orange beak is the focal point of each elegant illustration, but she flies over numerous other creatures on land and in the sea. More about Arctic terns is included at volume’s end, along with brief information identifying the various animals that appear along her journey in this arresting offering. (Ages 5-10)

An Arctic tern can fly as many as 50,000 miles in its annual migration, and as this bird chases summer across the hemispheres, it sees more sunlight than any other living thing. In this luminous 2024 Riverby Award-winning celebration of such astonishing aerial feats, author and visual artist Timothy Musso charts the migratory path of an Arctic tern family. Intricately designed woodcut illustrations propel the reader along as a partner on a most incredible journey. Back matter expands on the poetic text with additional details about the Arctic tern and other animals.