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Bird Girl

Gene Stratton-Porter Shares Her Love of Nature with the World

Author Jill Esbaum
Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek
11.3"W x 9.3"H x 0.36"D  
On sale Mar 12, 2024 | 48 Pages | 978-1-63592-686-6
| Grades 2-5
Reading Level: Lexile 830L | Fountas & Pinnell R
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This lively STEAM picture book is about the life of Gene Stratton-Porter, a pioneering wildlife photographer and popular author from the late 19th and early 20th century, who showed the world the beauty of nature, especially birds, and why it was worth preserving.

Gene Stratton-Porter was a farm girl who fell in love with birds, from the chickens whose eggs she collected to the hawks that preyed on them. When she grew up, Gene wanted nothing more than to share her love of birds with the world. She wrote stories about birds, but when a magazine wanted to publish them next to awkward photos of stuffed birds, she knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Teaching herself photography, Gene began to take photos of birds in the wild. Her knowledge of birds and how to approach them allowed her to get so close you could count the feathers of the birds in her photos. Her work was unlike anything Americans had ever seen before—she captured the true lives of animals in their natural habitat. A pioneering wildlife photographer and one of the most popular authors of the early 20th century, this bird girl showed the world the beauty of nature and why it was worth preserving.
Jill Esbaum is the award-winning author of several books for young readers. Some of her titles include LITTLE KIDS FIRST BIG BOOK OF HOW, CHERRY BLOSSOMS SAY SPRING, and HOW TO GROW A DINOSAUR. A frequent school visitor and conference speaker, she also teaches writing for children. View titles by Jill Esbaum
Raised in Wales, Rebecca Gibbon moved to Herefordshire after being based in London for many years. Rebecca took her foundation course at the Cardiff School of Art & Design, followed by a BA in graphic design at Liverpool School of Art. After graduating, she took an MA in illustration at the Royal College of Art. Illustrator site: instagram.com/rebecca.gibbon View titles by Rebecca Gibbon
"Esbaum’s...conversational text engagingly conveys her subject’s single-minded pursuit of her passion: sharing her love of birds with the world. Gibbon’s...evocative acrylic-ink and colored-pencil illustrations depict the era and the beauty of the environs." —The Horn Book

"It’s a pleasure to meet the bold bird ambassador and watch her flourish, and the vibrant acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations offer a superb sense of play and movement, beautifully matching Gene’s zest for adventures in the natural world. A splendid introduction to a lesser-known life that is sure to inspire." —Booklist

"Esbaum relies on simply stated language and syntax, emphasizing Gene’s love of birds and allowing her determination to shine through. Gibbon’s glowing, detailed acrylic-and-ink illustrations appear in vignettes or in full-page or double-page spreads, matching and enhancing the text. Though greatly respected in her own time, Gene Stratton-Porter is far less well known today; this work rectifies that oversight—this self-taught woman naturalist will come alive for young readers. Fascinating and inspiring." —Kirkus Reviews

About

This lively STEAM picture book is about the life of Gene Stratton-Porter, a pioneering wildlife photographer and popular author from the late 19th and early 20th century, who showed the world the beauty of nature, especially birds, and why it was worth preserving.

Gene Stratton-Porter was a farm girl who fell in love with birds, from the chickens whose eggs she collected to the hawks that preyed on them. When she grew up, Gene wanted nothing more than to share her love of birds with the world. She wrote stories about birds, but when a magazine wanted to publish them next to awkward photos of stuffed birds, she knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Teaching herself photography, Gene began to take photos of birds in the wild. Her knowledge of birds and how to approach them allowed her to get so close you could count the feathers of the birds in her photos. Her work was unlike anything Americans had ever seen before—she captured the true lives of animals in their natural habitat. A pioneering wildlife photographer and one of the most popular authors of the early 20th century, this bird girl showed the world the beauty of nature and why it was worth preserving.

Author

Jill Esbaum is the award-winning author of several books for young readers. Some of her titles include LITTLE KIDS FIRST BIG BOOK OF HOW, CHERRY BLOSSOMS SAY SPRING, and HOW TO GROW A DINOSAUR. A frequent school visitor and conference speaker, she also teaches writing for children. View titles by Jill Esbaum
Raised in Wales, Rebecca Gibbon moved to Herefordshire after being based in London for many years. Rebecca took her foundation course at the Cardiff School of Art & Design, followed by a BA in graphic design at Liverpool School of Art. After graduating, she took an MA in illustration at the Royal College of Art. Illustrator site: instagram.com/rebecca.gibbon View titles by Rebecca Gibbon

Praise

"Esbaum’s...conversational text engagingly conveys her subject’s single-minded pursuit of her passion: sharing her love of birds with the world. Gibbon’s...evocative acrylic-ink and colored-pencil illustrations depict the era and the beauty of the environs." —The Horn Book

"It’s a pleasure to meet the bold bird ambassador and watch her flourish, and the vibrant acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations offer a superb sense of play and movement, beautifully matching Gene’s zest for adventures in the natural world. A splendid introduction to a lesser-known life that is sure to inspire." —Booklist

"Esbaum relies on simply stated language and syntax, emphasizing Gene’s love of birds and allowing her determination to shine through. Gibbon’s glowing, detailed acrylic-and-ink illustrations appear in vignettes or in full-page or double-page spreads, matching and enhancing the text. Though greatly respected in her own time, Gene Stratton-Porter is far less well known today; this work rectifies that oversight—this self-taught woman naturalist will come alive for young readers. Fascinating and inspiring." —Kirkus Reviews

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