Customer Reviews (2)

Historical fiction in pre-historic Tasmania
It was a pleasure to read this author's first book which is set in Tasmania.It moves between the present day and early man and is a fascinating look back at early human families and their emotions.The human qualities are the same as in the present day; love, jealousy, ambition, anger and kindness. It is full of details about ancient land formations in Australia and Tasmania, with tribes struggling for survival.Well worth the read and I look forward to the authors second book.

Australian fiction based on aboriginal anthropology
Helen Lawrence's new book, "Call of the Black Cockatoo," represents an unusual combination of fiction based on scientific fact, excitement, romance, present-day scientific reasoning and ancient mythologically based thinking.The story is founded upon the well-researched anthropologic and geomorphic history of Tasmania.It tells of the populating of that island by aboriginals who migrated from the Australian mainland via a land bridge, which became submerged under the ocean some eleven thousand years ago.The story of a modern research team and the interpersonal relationships that develop among its members, is juxtaposed with the riveting descriptions of the ancient inhabitants' journey from seacoast to rugged mountain terrain.The customs and beliefs, which dictate the aboriginals' lives and liaisons, and their brutal conflicts within the tribe and with their neighbors, are told in unflinching language.The result is a novel, which, while imparting to the reader the science of several disciplines, combines science with the two companion stories, leaving the reader ensconced in a "page-turner" which is informative, exciting, enthralling, and thoroughly enjoyable. ... Read more

Product Description
From snags on the barbie to dainty desserts for dames, Stew a Cockatoo is the cookbook that every Australian has been waiting for. Not only is this book jam-packed (no pun intended) with good ol' Aussie recipes but it's full of anecdotal stories about how our cuisine came to be and fair dinkum definitions for words and phrases likebush tucker' andspuds'. Age 8+ ... Read more

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Publisher: London, Gay ... Read more

Product Description
Children's picture book. Large format paperback. ... Read more

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Discusses feeding, breeding, health problems, and other items of interest to owners of cockatoos as pets. ... Read more

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"Charlie's World: The Improbable Adventures of a Hong Kong Cockatoo and His American Family" is an intimate, hilarious and heartbreaking account of a captive wild cockatoo, Charlie, and the quite unusual and prominent family who adopted him.The story stretches from the exotic Far East to the (possibly equally exotic) bedroom community of Scarsdale, New York. For about twenty-five years this surprising and beautiful bird was a part of the lives and conversations of the growing Topping family.

Charlie was probably kidnapped by a sailor in the Australian, outback and traded to a wicked opium peddler in Hong Kong, where he was rescued from abuse by the author. He returned her kindness with 25 years of clowning and instruction in the remarkable ways of parrot kind. He traveled the world with the Topping family and their entourage of children and animals before they settled in Scarsdale, New York.In this suburb he put down roots, as it were, and excavated himself a tree house in the family garden. Along the way he learned to speak several languages including Chinese, English, Spanish and Crow (the bird kind). He was self-educated and acquired his unusual knowledge on a need-to-know basis.

Charlie's family consists of Seymour(Top) and Audrey Topping and their five daughters. He knew and addressed everyone by name.Top, as Charlie called him, is currently Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes and Professor of Journalism at Columbia. But at the beginning of Charlie's adventure Top was a correspondent for the New York Times covering Vietnam and the Far East. By the time the family moved to Scarsdale, Top was Managing Editor of The New York Times. Audrey--author of the book--is a mother of five, animal lover, journalist and photographer.She has written and illustrated several books about China and has published in many major magazines, including The New York Times Magazine, Life, Time, Science, and The Readers Digest.She was the first journalist to write the story and photograph the underground army of China's first emperor. It was a cover story for National Geographic and Horizon magazines.

The story of Charlie begins in the now legendary British Crown Colony of Hong Kong, where Charlie, after his rescue, participates in the rather unusual family life of expatriate journalists in the East. Everywhere they go, this family are accompanied by their current entourage of animals, often with very funny results.

Charlie, because of his cocky personality and powers of speech, captivates the friends of the family, both the obscure and the famous. In Scarsdale Charlie experiences the various stages of life with his five "sisters"--from childhood through the miseries of teen-agers to love and marriage.He responds to celebrations, joy, death, loss, and depression, until he finally finds himself.

You will laugh as you travel in the company of Audrey and Charlie and his varied flock and experience their unpredictable career through several cultures and a lot of history, and even a bit of philosophy.This book may answer the ongoing question whether a parrot is a thinker or just another birdbrain (or it may not). However you decide, it is worth the read and the ride for the pleasure of living a while in the author's mind with Charlie on your shoulder.It is a funny, sweet book you will read and press on your friends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It is one of the most amusing stories I have ever read!
I fell in love with the beautiful bird, and I admire the way story is presented. It is funny, it is personable and written with a great talent. Audrey Topping helps one to appreciate the wonderful world of birds and animals.

From a fellow cockatoo parent
If you love companion parrots, especially cockatoos, you will probably appreciate this book.I found the book was more about the life of the Topping family, though, which I also happened to find fun and interesting to read about.The book is fast-paced and upbeat as it delivers funny snippets from the author's life with her "baby boy" - any cockatoo owner can easy relate.However, I would have enjoyed more real stories about Charlie rather than the focus on sensationalistic "one-liners" from Charlie.The last chapter takes a dramatic turn and left me sobbing - I don't think the tone or abruptness of the ending added anything to the book and is definitely not for the faint of heart.Overall, though, the book is well worth the read.It left me wishing I had known Charlie, as well as his family.

A word from a former teacher of Audrey
"Charlie's World" is very well written book. I was reminded of the time when Audrey was ten years old, and came to the house with two crows on her shoulders.Both crows were talkers. Audrey is anexceptionally good writer, and the book is a MUST for all. I had to read itin One sitting.

Enchanting Charlie
I love this enchanting memoir of a brilliant and irreverent cockatoo who adopts a family of 7 humans and then guides, instructs, and scolds them, while roving the world with them.It is hilarous, tender, wise, and alltrue.This isn't just a pet book.This book is rich with culturalhistory, psychological nuance, and drama.It's a book that readers invirtually every culture can relate to.I couldn't put it down. ... Read more