Welcome to Litsy!

The true story in words and photographs of Amica, a large, flightless bird called a rhea, who has been rescued and raised by a family in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. Amica is a remarkably intelligent bird with a range of humanlike emotion including humor, curiosity and attachment. The family took Amica home as a one week old chick. In six months, the bird was five feet tall and firmly a part of the family. Mother and son Meadow and Washo Shadowhawk use words and photos to explore the story of rheas, which are primarily raised as livestock, as well as their family's experience raising one. They call on us to treat all animals humanely and to question the way we live, eat, and see the world around us.