Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey by Devon Holzwarth, Jess Keating
ISBN: 059348858X
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

A tribute to Florence Merriam Bailey (1863-1948), a passionate ornithologist who revolutionized the way scientists and general nature lovers study birds. Keating introduces Florence as a child who was delighted to sit patiently in the woods to watch birds and take careful notes on their features and behavior. As an adult, she is outraged by the fashion of piling feathers and dead birds atop women’s hats and killing birds in order to study them. She popularized bird watching and promoted protective legislation. She turned her years of note taking  into field guides for professionals and the general public alike.

Although at times Keating’s language is a bit obscure, she does a huge service in making this woman’s life known to the world. Children will be aghast to learn that birds were killed in order to be studied and were also worn as fashion. Holzwarth’s illustration are colorful and lush which adds much to the enjoyment of the book. The “Author’s Note” and a set of basic bird-watching guidelines at the end of the book are informative and supplements the biography. The illustrator’s beautiful labeled gallery of common birds for readers to spot on the earlier pages (or outdoors) adds some fun. Highly recommended for animal lovers and anyone who enjoys looking at lovely illustrations. A truly wonderful example of how one person can make a difference.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library