She Heard the Birds: The Story of Florence Merriam Bailey

by Andrea D'Aquino

Overview

"A bright and accessible introduction to a woman whose quiet advocacy left a lasting impact, complete with easy suggestions for budding birders and environmentalists to follow in Bailey's observant footsteps." —The Horn Book Guide

Meet Florence Merriam Bailey, a pioneering birder and activist who changed the way we study birds forever, in this lushly illustrated picture book biography.

As a young girl, Florence Merriam Bailey fell in love with the outdoors, especially with birds whose songs and flight captivated her. She listened, waited, and watched to better understand her feathered friends. As an adult, she wrote many books, including one of the first field guides to American birds, and advocated for the scientific study of birds in nature rather than in a lab. Her work ultimately led to better understanding of and protection for birds.

Artist Andrea D'Aquino brings to life the story of a woman ahead of her time. Striking full-page collages make each page a delight to read.

BIRD BOOK FOR KIDS: Birdwatching has soared in popularity among adults, teens, and kids in recent years. This unique and engaging story is perfect for birders, budding ornithologists, and nature lovers of all kinds. It includes beautifully crafted bird images, along with their species name and special calls, and a short resource section at the back, which is a terrific place to start for more information.

ACCOMPLISHED ARTIST AUTHOR: Andrea D’Aquino’s lush collages and engaging text celebrate Bailey’s remarkable accomplishments and tell a story that will appeal to and inspire young readers and bird lovers. D'Aquino is also the author of A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa and an illustrated edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648960505
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	10/12/2021
Pages:	38
Product dimensions:	8.35(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Andrea D'Aquino is an artist and author whose work has been published internationally. Her previous books include an illustrated edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Everything Is Mine, and A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa. She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

"A beautiful and unusual introduction to a fascinating life—and an important call to action."
– Booklist ,

"

"This is a story of an ornithological hero. It’s also a quieter, subtler book than we usually see about environmental activism, and I think that’s a real key to its success. So many picture book bios make it seem necessary to be brash and loud to get things done. Fewer understand the power of quiet, unyielding persistence."
– School Library Journal Fuse 8 Blog,

"

"This is a bright and accessible introduction to a woman whose quiet advocacy left a lasting impact, complete with easy suggestions for budding birders and environmentalists to follow in Bailey's observant footsteps."
– The Horn Book Guide 

"D’Aquino distills the life of ornithologist and activist Florence Merriam Bailey....A good introduction to an important pathfinder among women naturalists."
– Kirkus Reviews,

"

"Andrea D’Aquino’s She Heard the Birds captures the life and scientific contributions of ornithologist Florence Merriam Bailey — and also reminds readers to stop, be still, look up, and see the birds."
– Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

From the Publisher

2021-07-27
D’Aquino distills the life of ornithologist and activist Florence Merriam Bailey.

The narrative highlights salient moments in Bailey’s childhood: a summerlong camping trip with her father and brother; learning about stars and planets with her astronomer mother. Through elision and metaphor, D’Aquino links bird song to Bailey’s awakening consciousness: “She had the feeling they had something important to tell her.” Bailey’s activism was sharpened by the global decimation of bird species to supply the Euro-American millinery trade’s insatiable appetite for the bodies and plumage of birds. “People thought wearing birds on hats looked beautiful. To Bailey, those hats were the ugliest things she had ever seen.” Modernist collage illustrations contrast grayscale with bright color to emphasize nature’s paramount beauty and importance. Thus, two fashionable women, portrayed in black-and-white garb against a painted gray background, wear elaborate hats composed of colorful plumage and bird corpses. (D’Aquino sidesteps patriarchy’s profiteering role in the trend, for which women alone were pilloried.) Bailey’s tools for quiet observation of live birds—a camera, notebook, pencils, binoculars, and ears—are depicted; 10 common birds accompany their phonetic song-snippets. Other spreads distort perspective, stylize form, and celebrate the collage medium for itself, with torn-paper confetti representing leaves and clouds. Bailey herself is a paper-white cutout in patterned blue-and-white clothing, visually linked to birds and sky.

A good introduction to an important pathfinder among women naturalists. (biographical note, birds in crisis, resources) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews