Dodo: A Brief History

"Dead as a dodo." We think not! The dodo may long be extinct, but its presence in our culture and hearts lives on.

Our knowledge of the dodo as an actual living creature may be limited, but in popular culture it is one of the best known creatures and rands with tigers, penguins, elephants, and dinosaurs as an animal that most children will recognize. Lewis Carroll's inclusion of the dodo in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and certainly Sir John Tenniel's infamous accompanying illustration of Alice and the dodo, forever elevated this curious bird to fantastical status. From cartoon characters to the very icon of extinction, the mythology surrounding the dodo has grown to universal celebrity.

From personal accounts from travelers to the Island of Mauritius, to the bird's prominence in literature and the arts, this droll presentation is the most comprehensive illustrated guide to an intriguing inhabitant of natural history and the arts.