This is the best children’s book on Audobon I’ve seen yet.  

  Though recommended for grades 2-4, The  Boy Who Drew Birds will appeal to all ages.

I love the description of Audobon’s personal musee’:

“Every shelf, every tabletop, every spare inch of floor, was covered with nests and eggs and tree branches and pebbles and lichen and feathers and stuffed birds: redwings and grackles, kingfishers and woodpeckers.  The walls were covered with pencil and crayon drawings of birds…”

It goes on to describe how each year, on his birthday, John James removed the drawings on his wall that he had completed in the past 12 months, and burned them in the fireplace.  He didn’t consider them worth keeping!

The engaging text, not to mention Melissa Sweet’s incredibly creative artwork/illustrations,  are inspiring to say the least. It’s one of those books that makes you want to run and start a nature journal right away!