In the year 1541, two Indian boys lived on the remote island of Tibur n off the west coast of Mexico. They were Seris, a warlike and primitive tribe quite different from the peaceful Indians of the mainland who had been easily conquered and reduced to slavery by Hernan Cortez and his invading Spanish armies. The two boys, Stooping Hawk and Stranded Whale, were sent to spy on the conquerors and were caught and imprisoned. The story of their capture and escape is a thrilling one, but the account of their wild, free life on Tibur n is equally fascinating. This, the author says, is "a tale missed by the history books. And surely every generation of this fine, high-spirited people has had its counterparts of Stooping Hawk and Stranded Whale, true sons of liberty." Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson, naturalist, writer and artist, knows his desert setting as intimately as the habits and nature of the Seris. He has written and illustrated a richly rewarding story of adventure.

Mr. Bronson wrote his first book at the age of eight. Called "Animal People," it started like this: "This book is for children who are interested in animals and birds. It has verey good pictures in it and children can understand it verey easily." He later learned to spell, and wrote and illustrated over twenty books for children with "verey good pictures" that they could understand. Young readers everywhere are glad he did.