For the Birds [Hardcover]

Grade 2-5-This stunning picture book presents intriguing episodes from the life of the acclaimed American naturalist. The flowing narrative engages readers' interest and simply does not let go. Armstrong guides youngsters through the wilderness that Audubon traveled, relating the experiences that helped to shape his artistry. His meeting with frontiersman Daniel Boone, the evening he shared the inside of a tree with 9000 swifts, and his survival of an earthquake are retold in spellbinding detail. Smith's watercolor illustrations are so lifelike that one can virtually feel the beat of the swans' wings as the birds attack a pack of wolves. Several samples of Audubon's own artwork add to the artistic appeal of the book. The text is well documented, combining a mixture of primary and secondary source materials. While a smidgen of historical license has been taken in order to create drama, it does not detract from the overall usefulness of the work as nonfiction. It is far more engaging than Robert Burleigh's Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives His Dream (Atheneum, 2003). A must-have for most collections.
Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Gr. 2-4. This large-format book introduces nineteenth-century-painter John James Audubon by weaving together several incidents from his life on the American frontier. One involves an earthquake, another records a meeting with Daniel Boone, while the others chronicle amazing experiences as he observed flocks of passenger pigeons, swallows, and trumpeter swans. As these stories unfold, readers learn about Audubon's love of roaming the wilderness and painting birds. The narrative, which ends somewhat abruptly, is followed by an author's note and an artist's note that include information about Audubon's life and accomplishments as well as some background on the incidents in the book. The watercolor paintings take full advantage of the large, double-page spreads; their varied layouts create scenes that are pleasing in composition and color and often dramatic in content. Many picture-book biographies read like simplified encyclopedia entries. Taking a different approach and writing vividly, Armstrong creates a more memorable portrait of Audubon for young readers. A good read-aloud for units on the American frontier and a vivid introduction to the man. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

In the tradition of the highly successful Abrams title The Yellow House: Van Gogh and Gauguin Side by Side, this fascinating picture-book biography tells the story of 19th-century artist and explorer John James Audubon. Most people know that he painted The Birds of America, but many don't know what an exciting life he led: narrowly escaping an earthquake, meeting with native peoples, and witnessing flocks of passenger pigeons that literally darkened the noon-day sky. Armed with paintbrushes and canvas, Audubon searched the wild for birds and animals. And he captured many of them...on paper.

Author Jennifer Armstrong used material gleaned from Audubon's own journals to tell the artist's story. Along with the illustrations of Jos. A. Smith are five of Audubon's own artworks that reveal the amazing results of the artist's dedication. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Jennifer Armstrong has written more than two dozen books for young people, including several ALA Notable Books and ALA Best Books for Young Adults, as well as a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book. She lives in New York. Jos. A. Smith has illustrated many books, including Abrams' Circus Train and The Yellow House. A Professor of Fine Arts at Pratt Institute, he has exhibited his work throughout the country. He lives in Pennsylvania. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.