Written by Jill Esbaum; Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon
Calkins Creek, an Imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 2024
When I first began working in a public library on an island in Maine, the most popular book was, A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. It wasn't until reading Bird Girl did I learn that Stratton-Porter was the first bird photographer in America.
Born in Wabash County, Indiana, in 1864, Geneva Grace Stratton loved birds. As she watched them, she would wonder, "How do they decide where to build their nests? What do they feed their babies? Does all that chirping and singing mean anything?"
After rescuing one bird and raising it back to health, the following summer Geneva watched over sixty-four nests, visiting them every day. It was as an adult, now called, Gene, that her family bought her a camera for Christmas. Gene could now use her photos of birds taken at her favorite place, Limberlost Swamp, to illustrate her bird stories.
Gene would go on to be a prolific writer and photographer. She died in a car accident in December of 1924. She was sixty-one years old.
The illustrated, done in acrylic ink and colored pencils, by Rebecca Gibbon. They reflect the playfulness and curiosity of the subject.
Backmatter includes an author's note, a short biography of Gene Stratton-Porter, bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and a list of selected works of Gene Stratton-Porter.
An engaging, fun, and inspiring picture book biography.
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