Ted and Betsy Lewin describe their 2008 trip to Heimaey Island, off the coast of Iceland, which has one of the largest puffin colonies in the world. Each August, when the young puffins, called pufflings, leave their burrows, some fly the wrong way and end up in town instead of out at sea, where they need to be to survive. They can’t take off again, so the Puffling Patrol, community members who go out in search of stranded birds, rescues them. The birds are kept safe for the night and then given a medical check the next day. Those that are big enough are released into the sea. One night the Lewins accompany two children and their father on a search, which concludes with the puffling they find being released. This engaging, true account makes clear that even though the two children find the young birds cute and lovable, they also understand they are wild. End matter for this informational picture book that incorporates illustrations by both Ted and Betsy Lewin includes facts about Atlantic puffins, more about volcanic Heimaey Island (which last erupted in 1973), information about the puffin population (which is declining), and a glossary. (Ages 4–9)

Ted and Betsy Lewin travel to Iceland to learn about the "Puffling Patrol," a group of children who rescue lost puffins and return them to sea.

Every April, the Westman Islands off the coast of Iceland become home to hundreds of thousands of puffins, small black-and-white seabirds with colorful bills. They spend the summer on the rocky cliffs of the islands, caring for their newly hatched chicks. By the middle of August, it is time for the young puffins, called pufflings, to make their way to the sea. And that is when the children of The Puffling Patrol are called to action.

Ted and Betsy Lewin have journeyed to the Westman Islands to experience The Puffling Patrol's endeavors firsthand. In the company of Erna, Dáni, and their father, they drive through town at night, carefully searching for confused little birds that have glided down onto the streets instead of out to sea. Will the children find the pufflings before the birds encounter danger? Will the pufflings ever make it to the sea to spend their lives with other puffins in the North Atlantic Ocean?

The fascinating story of this unique annual rescue, combined with Ted Lewin's dramatic paintings and Betsy Lewin's lively field sketches, is sure to make Puffling Patrol a hit with animal lovers of all ages.