From Publishers Weekly
Having previously written about Thoreau, Lindbergh and Babe Ruth, Burleigh continues his series of biographies of famous men in this poetic picture book about John James Audubon (1785-1851), sumptuously illustrated by Minor. The volume begins with advice to Audubon from his father: " `Be a store owner,' his father said./ But John went to the woods instead." As an author's note explains, what follows is Burleigh's imagined response, penned by Audubon in a letter to his father, in an ornate 19th-century style with rhymed couplets: "O father, dear Father, to me it seems/ No one can fail who holds to his dreams." The flow of the narrative parallels quotations from the naturalist's journals, just as Audubon's own paintings sometimes appear as spot art to mirror Minor's illustrations. Author and artist present Audubon as both idealistic and gentle, and though he doesn't "save every cent" as his father wants him to, he ends up "saving" in his artwork the disappearing world he observes ("And I must paint it all because/ We need this memory of what was"). His philosophy wafts through the volume like a summer breeze. Minor breathtakingly captures a landscape with a blue heron in the marsh as easily as a close-up of a dying dove, alongside a poem deft and sure. Nature-lovers and budding artists will want to know about this one. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-This picture-book biography of one of America's best-known naturalists offers readers a real slice of Americana. It focuses on an imaginary letter that Audubon has written to his father in which he tries to explain why he has rejected urban life. The narrative clearly depicts the love and respect that he had for nature, and conveys the lure of the outdoors that Audubon found irresistible. The lyrical prose makes this volume a compelling read-aloud, and the excerpts from Audubon's journal lend authenticity to the text. Lush illustrations clearly depict the beauty of the landscape. Minor's paintings are complemented by several of Audubon's own drawings. This combination is visually effective, but it will be hard for children to determine the illustrator of each piece. Although Audubon's works are noted below the copyright information, the page numbers given don't seem to match up with the illustrations, making it difficult to identify his art in this unpaged book. Despite the problems, the pictures are lovely and the text is pleasant.
Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
