The earth is old and we are not and that is all you must remember . . . Eleven-year-old
Willodeen adores creatures of all kinds but her favourites are the most unlovable beasts in
the land: strange beasts known as "screechers." The villagers of Perchance call them pests
even monsters but Willodeen believes the animals serve a vital role in the complicated web of
nature. Lately though nature has seemed angry indeed. Perchance has been cursed with fires
and mudslides droughts and fevers and even the annual migration of hummingbears a source of
local pride and income has dwindled. For as long as anyone can remember the tiny animals have
overwintered in shimmering bubble nests perched atop blue willow trees drawing tourists from
far and wide. This year however not a single hummingbear has returned to Perchance and no
one knows why. When a handmade birthday gift brings unexpected magic to Willodeen and her new
friend Connor she's determined to speak up for the animals she loves and perhaps even
uncover the answer to the mystery of the missing hummingbears.
