John James Audubon was a boy who loved the out-of-doors more than the in. He was a boy who believed in studying birds in nature, not just from books. And, in the fall of 1804, he was a boy determined to learn if the small birds nesting near his Pennsylvania home really would return the following spring.
This book reveals how the youthful Audubon pioneered a technique essential to our understanding of birds. Capturing the early passion of America's greatest painter of birds, this story will leave young readers listening intently for the call of birds large and small near their own homes.
This winsomely imagined account of an episode when Audubon was 18 years old joins the flocks of commemorative works. Sweet's illustrations soar.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Davies related her story with immediacy, evoking Audobon's keen curiosity and the lure of the outdoors as she describes his gradual discovery of some important facts about bird migrations.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
This handsome book makes a beguiling introduction to the painter.
Booklist, ALA
Sweet's relaxed watercolor style and skillful incorporation of collage, plus a lively narration that illuminates Audobon's passion for observation and sets his pivotal insight into context, make this appealing vignette a fine introduction to his work.
Horn Book
Melissa Sweet is the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of many fine children's books including Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White, winner of the NCTE Orbis Pictus award, Balloons Over Broadway, a Sibert winner, and The Right Word and A River of Words, both Caldecott Honors. Reviewers have described her unique mixed-media illustrations as "exuberant," "outstanding," and "a creative delight." Melissa lives on the beautiful coast of Maine. In addition to writing and painting, she enjoys gardening, hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing.
Jacqueline Davies is the talented writer of several novels and picture books, including The Lemonade War series and The Boy Who Drew Birds. Ms. Davies lives in Needham, Massachusetts, with her family.
Target Age: 4-7
Clarion Books
Pub Date: September 27, 2004
0.36" H x 10.34" L x 8.18" W
32 pages
hardcover