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She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!
Feathers on ladies' hats were becomming more and more popular. Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall believed something had to be done. Fashion was killing birds as well as women's chances to have the right to vote and be listened to. For who would listen to a woman with a dead bird on her head? And if the senseless slaughter for a silly fashion was not stopped, in a few years the birds with the prettiest feathers would all be dead, gone forever, extinct."Why not form a bird club?" suggested Harriet.
"What a wonderful idea, " said Minna. "Let's do it. Let's start a club for the birds!"
"What a wonderful idea, " said Minna. "Let's do it. Let's start a club for the birds!"
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 1995
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
232 books2,175 followersKathryn Lasky is the American author of many critically acclaimed books, including several Dear America books, several Royal Diaries books, 1984 Newbery Honor winning Sugaring Time, The Night Journey, and the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series.
She was born June 24, 1944, and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is married to Christopher Knight, with whom she lives in Massachusetts.
Book 15, The War of the Ember, is currently the last book in the Ga'Hoole series. The Rise of a Legend is the 16th book but is a prequel to the series. Lasky has also written Guide Book To The Great Tree and Lost Tales Of Ga'Hoole which are companion books.
She was born June 24, 1944, and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is married to Christopher Knight, with whom she lives in Massachusetts.
Book 15, The War of the Ember, is currently the last book in the Ga'Hoole series. The Rise of a Legend is the 16th book but is a prequel to the series. Lasky has also written Guide Book To The Great Tree and Lost Tales Of Ga'Hoole which are companion books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 23, 2019
What can I say about Kathryn Lasky's She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! but wow! I have always had somewhat of a deep love affair with birds and been rather majorly disgusted at and by not only the historic tendency of the fashion industry to put feathers and the like on hats and other articles of clothing and accessories, but also at and by the fact that some if not many of these practices and traditions are seemingly still happening. However, I certainly did NOT know that both ladies and gentlemen in the late 19th and early 20th century were actually often wearing not only feathers, but stuffed life-like birds on their hats. Did they not see the cruel irony of this?
Furthermore I must also admit that while the bird aspect of She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! and the fact that Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall were (historically) not only able to start a bird club, but were actually also able to get protective laws both passed and then even enforced has made me not only happy and proud, She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! has also made me realise that even today, we still and very sorely require these types of protective laws and brave women (brave persons, brave activists) such as Harriet and Minna to help and succor not only North American birds, but birds and really animal species in general (as well as dwindling natural spaces) around the world, because birds (and many species of animals) are still and often increasingly in jeopardy, as nature is still being regularly and thoughtlessly, callously exploited.
Now as to David Cattrow's accompanying illustrations, they are bright and expressive, and I especially appreciate that he has drawn the featured birds quite life-like and in many ways very similar to how they are illustrated in reference manuals such as the Peterson Field Guides. And this not only makes Kathryn Lasky's narrative more immediate and poignant, the bird illustrations themselves might also be used for further discussion and teaching, especially for topics such as ornithology, environmental protection and the immorality of hunting for fashion and trophies (for sport and vain glory). For example, Cattrow has illustrations of both an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker and a Carolina Parakeet on (I think) pages three and four (both of them being worn on men's hats). Well the Carolina Parakeet is extinct, and it became extinct due to both the feather trade and due to the fact that the parakeets enjoyed raiding fruit orchards and were thus considered agricultural pests, while the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (even though it might yet survive in very small numbers in remote areas) was basically driven to extinction due to both the above mentioned feather trade, but also because of large-scale habitat destruction of the Southern USA forests that were its home. But of course and appreciatively, Cattrow does not only show extinct birds in his illustrations (and many birds like the Arctic Tern on page two, and the Roeseate Spoonbill illustrated on the last page are in fact thriving today due to those very protective laws Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall helped create).
And finally, with regard to David Cattrow's illustrations for She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on her Head I also just absolutely love how Harriet's cute and personable pet cat (the illustrations of which are simply darling) is ALWAYS depicted as being totally an inside cat. For domestic cats are NOT native to North America, and in particular outside and feral cats have exacted (and continue to exact) a terrible toll on native North American bird populations. And many bird protection groups have in fact tried to educate the public about this problem and that it is better for native bird populations (and really for the cats themselves) if most domestic cats were indeed inside cats. Now personally, I do not know if this could ever be entirely possible (and especially farmers really do need their barn cats to keep vermin at bay). But it is a true and infuriatingly sad fact that domestic cats kill millions of native songbirds each year, and thus do I think it is an ingenious illustrative ploy for Cattrow to show Harriet's own pet cat as always being inside. And in fact, the only outdoor cat in the story (on page eight) is depicted, is drawn as pawing at a dead chicken. Both text and illustrations of She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! thus not only tell an amazing and vibrant story, they are also (or can also be) useful tools for educating children about environmental issues, an amazing, wonderful marriage of Kathryn Lasky's printed words and David Cattrow's pictorial renderings.
Now with regard to the narrative itself, I think it is ingenious how Harriet and Minna are shown by the author to have managed to get the protective bird laws enforced by very soundly beating the fashion industry and the suppliers of bird feathers at their own nasty little game (by buying a hat that was adorned with the feathers of protected bird species, taking said hat apart and thereby discovering the name of the feather supplier, both ironic and excellent just desserts for both the sellers and the suppliers who were refusing to adhere to and follow the new regulations). And while Kathryn Lasky does point out how this part of She's wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! is pure conjecture, I do believe (just as she also states in her author'note) that this is precisely the kind of action Harriet and Minna likely might have taken, for if they had simply set out alone to track down the culprits, not only would that have been much more difficult, if not impossible, it could also very likely have been a potentially exceedingly and foolishly dangerous undertaking. For while you cannot easily go and arrest a "distinguished" lady or gentleman for wearing hats with feathers from protected bird species, you can most definitely engage in some scheming subterfuge and research to discover where the materials to furnish said hats have originated, and then have the authorities act accordingly.
Furthermore I must also admit that while the bird aspect of She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! and the fact that Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall were (historically) not only able to start a bird club, but were actually also able to get protective laws both passed and then even enforced has made me not only happy and proud, She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! has also made me realise that even today, we still and very sorely require these types of protective laws and brave women (brave persons, brave activists) such as Harriet and Minna to help and succor not only North American birds, but birds and really animal species in general (as well as dwindling natural spaces) around the world, because birds (and many species of animals) are still and often increasingly in jeopardy, as nature is still being regularly and thoughtlessly, callously exploited.
Now as to David Cattrow's accompanying illustrations, they are bright and expressive, and I especially appreciate that he has drawn the featured birds quite life-like and in many ways very similar to how they are illustrated in reference manuals such as the Peterson Field Guides. And this not only makes Kathryn Lasky's narrative more immediate and poignant, the bird illustrations themselves might also be used for further discussion and teaching, especially for topics such as ornithology, environmental protection and the immorality of hunting for fashion and trophies (for sport and vain glory). For example, Cattrow has illustrations of both an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker and a Carolina Parakeet on (I think) pages three and four (both of them being worn on men's hats). Well the Carolina Parakeet is extinct, and it became extinct due to both the feather trade and due to the fact that the parakeets enjoyed raiding fruit orchards and were thus considered agricultural pests, while the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (even though it might yet survive in very small numbers in remote areas) was basically driven to extinction due to both the above mentioned feather trade, but also because of large-scale habitat destruction of the Southern USA forests that were its home. But of course and appreciatively, Cattrow does not only show extinct birds in his illustrations (and many birds like the Arctic Tern on page two, and the Roeseate Spoonbill illustrated on the last page are in fact thriving today due to those very protective laws Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall helped create).
And finally, with regard to David Cattrow's illustrations for She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on her Head I also just absolutely love how Harriet's cute and personable pet cat (the illustrations of which are simply darling) is ALWAYS depicted as being totally an inside cat. For domestic cats are NOT native to North America, and in particular outside and feral cats have exacted (and continue to exact) a terrible toll on native North American bird populations. And many bird protection groups have in fact tried to educate the public about this problem and that it is better for native bird populations (and really for the cats themselves) if most domestic cats were indeed inside cats. Now personally, I do not know if this could ever be entirely possible (and especially farmers really do need their barn cats to keep vermin at bay). But it is a true and infuriatingly sad fact that domestic cats kill millions of native songbirds each year, and thus do I think it is an ingenious illustrative ploy for Cattrow to show Harriet's own pet cat as always being inside. And in fact, the only outdoor cat in the story (on page eight) is depicted, is drawn as pawing at a dead chicken. Both text and illustrations of She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! thus not only tell an amazing and vibrant story, they are also (or can also be) useful tools for educating children about environmental issues, an amazing, wonderful marriage of Kathryn Lasky's printed words and David Cattrow's pictorial renderings.
Now with regard to the narrative itself, I think it is ingenious how Harriet and Minna are shown by the author to have managed to get the protective bird laws enforced by very soundly beating the fashion industry and the suppliers of bird feathers at their own nasty little game (by buying a hat that was adorned with the feathers of protected bird species, taking said hat apart and thereby discovering the name of the feather supplier, both ironic and excellent just desserts for both the sellers and the suppliers who were refusing to adhere to and follow the new regulations). And while Kathryn Lasky does point out how this part of She's wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! is pure conjecture, I do believe (just as she also states in her author'note) that this is precisely the kind of action Harriet and Minna likely might have taken, for if they had simply set out alone to track down the culprits, not only would that have been much more difficult, if not impossible, it could also very likely have been a potentially exceedingly and foolishly dangerous undertaking. For while you cannot easily go and arrest a "distinguished" lady or gentleman for wearing hats with feathers from protected bird species, you can most definitely engage in some scheming subterfuge and research to discover where the materials to furnish said hats have originated, and then have the authorities act accordingly.
February 26, 2010
This is such a serious subject, in my opinion, but it was a fun book too. The story and pictures both had a lot of humor, and it was done tastefully, as it was very respectful of the subject and the women featured.
Before I read this book, I had no idea how/why the (in this case the Massachusetts) Audubon Society was formed, nor did I know its connection to the Suffrage movement. This is a historical fiction account of the two women who were the force behind this organization. There’s an author’s note at the end that reveals what’s non-fiction and what’s based on the truth of this story.
Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall were two women who were truly inspirational to many people and they managed to make a difference for both the birds and for women. They really were animal rights and women’s rights advocates. I care deeply about both these issues and I was particularly impressed with how much they were able to accomplish, how smart they were about how they organized, especially given the societal conditions at the time. They were outstanding women: I read this book for the Children's Books group Picture-Book club as one of the six March book selections with the month’s theme being outstanding women. I’d never heard of the book and I’m grateful to the group for alerting me to it. I learned a lot.
Some of the illustrations are very, very amusing. I don’t exactly like the art style but they really work for this book so I did really enjoy the pictures.
This is an excellent history book for children. It’s fun, funny, serious, informative, and not at all boring. I’ve always enjoyed history, but even for those who normally don’t find history interesting, I think that many will like this book.
Before I read this book, I had no idea how/why the (in this case the Massachusetts) Audubon Society was formed, nor did I know its connection to the Suffrage movement. This is a historical fiction account of the two women who were the force behind this organization. There’s an author’s note at the end that reveals what’s non-fiction and what’s based on the truth of this story.
Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall were two women who were truly inspirational to many people and they managed to make a difference for both the birds and for women. They really were animal rights and women’s rights advocates. I care deeply about both these issues and I was particularly impressed with how much they were able to accomplish, how smart they were about how they organized, especially given the societal conditions at the time. They were outstanding women: I read this book for the Children's Books group Picture-Book club as one of the six March book selections with the month’s theme being outstanding women. I’d never heard of the book and I’m grateful to the group for alerting me to it. I learned a lot.
Some of the illustrations are very, very amusing. I don’t exactly like the art style but they really work for this book so I did really enjoy the pictures.
This is an excellent history book for children. It’s fun, funny, serious, informative, and not at all boring. I’ve always enjoyed history, but even for those who normally don’t find history interesting, I think that many will like this book.
November 28, 2019
This wonderful picture-book follows the true story of cousins Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall, two very proper Boston ladies who, in the early years of the twentieth century, formed the Massachusetts Audubon Society, in response to the appalling hat fashions of the day. As the title, She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!, suggests, these fashions involved the widespread slaughter of many different species of bird, so that their feathers and bodies could be used as decorations. Determined to put a stop to this "revolting" practice, Harriet and Minna launched a campaign that would have far-reaching consequences, both for the environmental and woman suffrage movements...
I really liked Lasky's narrative, which emphasized the strong feelings and high principles of both her heroines, while also subtly depicting the social constraints of their world: "ladies" didn't speak with their mouth full, didn't investigate without a male companion, and so on. I also liked that she highlighted the ties between different kinds of organizing, from bird protection to women's rights. The watercolor and ink illustrations by David Catrow - She's Wearing a Dead Bird on her Head! was chosen as a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book for 1995 - accentuated the humor and emotion of the story.
In her afterword, Lasky claims that the campaign started by Hemenway and Hall was instrumental in leading to a ban on the killing of birds by the hat industry, and that their organization, although not the first Audubon Society, was the first long-lasting one. None of that history is mentioned in the main Wikipedia entry on The National Audubon Society, making me doubly glad that this book is available to young readers. I think I will have to track down Jennifer Price's essay, When Women Were Women, Men Were Men, and Birds Were Hats, from Flight Maps: Adventures With Nature In Modern America , for more information...
I really liked Lasky's narrative, which emphasized the strong feelings and high principles of both her heroines, while also subtly depicting the social constraints of their world: "ladies" didn't speak with their mouth full, didn't investigate without a male companion, and so on. I also liked that she highlighted the ties between different kinds of organizing, from bird protection to women's rights. The watercolor and ink illustrations by David Catrow - She's Wearing a Dead Bird on her Head! was chosen as a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book for 1995 - accentuated the humor and emotion of the story.
In her afterword, Lasky claims that the campaign started by Hemenway and Hall was instrumental in leading to a ban on the killing of birds by the hat industry, and that their organization, although not the first Audubon Society, was the first long-lasting one. None of that history is mentioned in the main Wikipedia entry on The National Audubon Society, making me doubly glad that this book is available to young readers. I think I will have to track down Jennifer Price's essay, When Women Were Women, Men Were Men, and Birds Were Hats, from Flight Maps: Adventures With Nature In Modern America , for more information...
January 1, 2015
This story was selected as one of the books for the March 2010 - Outstanding Women reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
January 16, 2008
Scowls, gasps and frowns abound in this surprisingly informative yet thoroughly entertaining account of the Audubon Society, its origins and its triumph over the silliness of the dead-bird fashion industry.
Listen to our chat about this book on the Children's Book Podcast.
Listen to our chat about this book on the Children's Book Podcast.
April 11, 2009
I like this one most for its historical value--women's history. But it is a nice historical children's book in that the story is actually entertaining and the illustrations engaging. I think we just have to have more women's history in our children's repertoire.
December 16, 2021
She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! is a children's picture book written by Kathryn Lasky and illustrated by David Catrow. It centers on the lives of Harriet Lawrence Hemenway and Minna B. Hall as they co-founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society to stop encouraging women for wearing fathers or birds on their head.
Harriet Lawrence Hemenway was a Boston socialite and environmentalist who co-founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society with Minna B. Hall, her cousin. Other notable achievement includes the ratification of the Weeks-McLean Act by the US Congress. Together they organized ladies' teas at which she urged women to stop wearing hats with feathers, which irrevocably changed the feather trade.
Lasky's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. The narrative is more well-meaning than well-crafted as it lighthearted looks at the origins of the Audubon Society and the women behind it. Catrow contributes flamboyant caricatures of the behatted Bostonians in convincing period costume, and his watercolors of birds mimic Audubon's own naturalistic paintings.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Proper Boston ladies Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall are absolutely incensed by the latest style: ladies' hats topped with not just feathers but whole birds. Harriet and Minna found the Massachusetts Audubon Society and took their crusade to sportsmen, socialites and schoolchildren. They also lobbied for laws to protect wildfowl and even help bust an illegal feather warehouse.
All in all, She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! is a good starter biography of two important women that formed the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
Harriet Lawrence Hemenway was a Boston socialite and environmentalist who co-founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society with Minna B. Hall, her cousin. Other notable achievement includes the ratification of the Weeks-McLean Act by the US Congress. Together they organized ladies' teas at which she urged women to stop wearing hats with feathers, which irrevocably changed the feather trade.
Lasky's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. The narrative is more well-meaning than well-crafted as it lighthearted looks at the origins of the Audubon Society and the women behind it. Catrow contributes flamboyant caricatures of the behatted Bostonians in convincing period costume, and his watercolors of birds mimic Audubon's own naturalistic paintings.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Proper Boston ladies Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall are absolutely incensed by the latest style: ladies' hats topped with not just feathers but whole birds. Harriet and Minna found the Massachusetts Audubon Society and took their crusade to sportsmen, socialites and schoolchildren. They also lobbied for laws to protect wildfowl and even help bust an illegal feather warehouse.
All in all, She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! is a good starter biography of two important women that formed the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
January 23, 2018
Until reading this book, I had always assumed the Audubon society was started by John Audubon: bird painter extraordinaire. While that may have existed at one point, the Audubon Society as it is known today was started by two ladies who were aghast at women wearing dead birds as hat decorations. This was the time of the suffrage movement and they knew that no one would ever take a woman seriously if she dressed in a carcass. As for the illustrations, they are David Catrow, so they are my favorite, but these are more subdued, and fitting to the story. All told, this story hit it out of the park.
September 11, 2012
This is an inspiring, colorfully-illustrated book about two early 20th century women who singlehandedly took on the then-popular feathered hat trade. During the height of this absurd fashion craze, hundreds of millions of wild birds were slaughtered for vanity, wiping some species out entirely.
Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall started the first chapter of the Audubon society to spread the word about the damage of the feather trade and pass laws to protect birds. Ironically, the famous nature artist the two women named their club after was quite trigger-happy himself when it came to birds. Like the Sierra Club, which was founded by the ardent hunting opponent John Muir, but which later began actively supporting hunting and courting hunters, the Audubon Society also took on a position favorable to regulated sport hunting. Interestingly, there is a passage in this book in which Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall rebuff a couple of duck hunters who want to join their club.
Like many early activists, many of the crusaders against the feather trade were also women's suffragists. From early on, the causes of animal protection and human rights were intertwined.
Young activists will find this book inspiring, and it may spark some interesting discussions about cruel fashions which have not yet gone the way of the gaudily feathered hat. Perhaps in another century from now, we'll be reading a book titled, "She's Wearing a Dead Fox on Her Coat!" and people will marvel at the gruesome things people used to find fashionable.
Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall started the first chapter of the Audubon society to spread the word about the damage of the feather trade and pass laws to protect birds. Ironically, the famous nature artist the two women named their club after was quite trigger-happy himself when it came to birds. Like the Sierra Club, which was founded by the ardent hunting opponent John Muir, but which later began actively supporting hunting and courting hunters, the Audubon Society also took on a position favorable to regulated sport hunting. Interestingly, there is a passage in this book in which Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall rebuff a couple of duck hunters who want to join their club.
Like many early activists, many of the crusaders against the feather trade were also women's suffragists. From early on, the causes of animal protection and human rights were intertwined.
Young activists will find this book inspiring, and it may spark some interesting discussions about cruel fashions which have not yet gone the way of the gaudily feathered hat. Perhaps in another century from now, we'll be reading a book titled, "She's Wearing a Dead Fox on Her Coat!" and people will marvel at the gruesome things people used to find fashionable.
December 18, 2014
I would choose this book as a read aloud because it's an incredibly fun history lesson and the main characters are very lovable. The story is an interesting part of American history that should be talked about since the message of both environmental activism and women not being defined by the clothes they wear is still very valid even in this century.
The story is about two women trying to end a fashion that involves the killing of birds so they can be stuffed and mounted on women's hats in the early part of the 20th century as a fashion statement. Both of the main characters Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall are portrayed as likable moral women who have an interest in the preservation of birds and not giving into the trends of the time. But, the real draw of this book comes from the revelation that the group they founded (the Audubon Society) is still doing good work into the 21st century. I especially like the use of the illustrations (drawn by David Catrow) to capture both the excitement and chaos of their time period. The story itself is a simple summary of the work they did and why they did it with an especially sobering scene showing extinct birds in a museum that both women are walking through adequately explaining the stakes of the fashion trend.
The only real complaint I have is with the illustrations since they tend to look a bit boneless in some places with their representations of certain characters.
I would recommend this book as a read aloud for 4th and 5th grade since it matches well with social studies teaching about the early 20th century and its just fun to read aloud.
The story is about two women trying to end a fashion that involves the killing of birds so they can be stuffed and mounted on women's hats in the early part of the 20th century as a fashion statement. Both of the main characters Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall are portrayed as likable moral women who have an interest in the preservation of birds and not giving into the trends of the time. But, the real draw of this book comes from the revelation that the group they founded (the Audubon Society) is still doing good work into the 21st century. I especially like the use of the illustrations (drawn by David Catrow) to capture both the excitement and chaos of their time period. The story itself is a simple summary of the work they did and why they did it with an especially sobering scene showing extinct birds in a museum that both women are walking through adequately explaining the stakes of the fashion trend.
The only real complaint I have is with the illustrations since they tend to look a bit boneless in some places with their representations of certain characters.
I would recommend this book as a read aloud for 4th and 5th grade since it matches well with social studies teaching about the early 20th century and its just fun to read aloud.
October 5, 2015
Fun illustrations and a fun story, this is going on the list for books I plan to educate my kids with.
The two women who founded the Audubon society had the kind of indignation I really connected with as a kid, and their response was equally comprehensible. Upper class white ladies, they started a letter-writing campaign shaming their peers into swearing off the dead-bird hats that was making birds go extinct, they started a club, they went around organizing, and when they managed to change policy, they became the enforcers too!
The only sad thing is that I connected enough with this that it made me really sad that I don't have books about any female organizers of color. Where's the children's book on Fannie Lou Hamer? On Lucy Parsons?
The two women who founded the Audubon society had the kind of indignation I really connected with as a kid, and their response was equally comprehensible. Upper class white ladies, they started a letter-writing campaign shaming their peers into swearing off the dead-bird hats that was making birds go extinct, they started a club, they went around organizing, and when they managed to change policy, they became the enforcers too!
The only sad thing is that I connected enough with this that it made me really sad that I don't have books about any female organizers of color. Where's the children's book on Fannie Lou Hamer? On Lucy Parsons?
May 12, 2010
I thought this was an educational book that featured something in history that I had never heard about. By putting it in the form of a picture book and having fun illustrations it did not feel educational or tedious at all. I was interested in the story and how things would work out and I still got a vivid picture of what it might have looked like at that time period. Kudos to the authors for creating a book that would appeal to a wide range of audience and still have an easy format. I would probably recommend, especially if you were interested in a quick story of how the Audubon Society was formed.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
December 5, 2014
Thanks to my Goodreads buddies for putting me onto this wonderful book. Basically, this is the story behind the women who helped start the Audubon Society. When women's hats were becoming adorned with actual birds instead of just their feathers, Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall said enough was enough. This was in the late 1890s when women had little claim to power or course of action even when it came to voting rights. These two women took the bird movement to new level and became involved in bird protection and the driving force of the first Audubon Society. This was a great story with fun illustrations that children and adults can appreciate. I'm glad I found a copy for my own bookshelf.
April 17, 2016
I clipped a review of this book soon after it was published, and I filed it with other reviews of books I intend to read some day. A good 15 years later, I finally found the book at a garage sale. (There are times when it pays to be patient.) I had hoped for a more child-friendly text, but there are a few messages that come through loud and clear:
* Individuals can make a difference.
* Fashions can be ridiculous.
* Birds are protected by law.
I wish the artist had included younger women (and even girls) wearing the absurd hats. The women shown here are all rather matronly.
It begins: "Harriet Hemenway was a very proper Boston lady—she never talked with her mouth full. But one day she almost did."
* Individuals can make a difference.
* Fashions can be ridiculous.
* Birds are protected by law.
I wish the artist had included younger women (and even girls) wearing the absurd hats. The women shown here are all rather matronly.
It begins: "Harriet Hemenway was a very proper Boston lady—she never talked with her mouth full. But one day she almost did."
October 21, 2009
A fictionalized account of the founding of the Massachusetts Audubon Society begun by Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall. When birds began appearing on fashionable ladies hats, Minna nd Harriet went into action appealing to all who would hear them to stop the senseless killing and the potential endangerment and extinction of many species of birds. The story is kid-friendly and the illustrations are colorful and really bring home the point of the story.
A great introduction for saving our species and our creatures.
Used for "Feathered Friends" storytime- October, 2009.
A great introduction for saving our species and our creatures.
Used for "Feathered Friends" storytime- October, 2009.
October 20, 2010
David Catrow's illustrations make it worth looking at this book. It turns out the story is based on the truth of the beginnings of the Audubon Society and the two main characters are real. But, it was a lengthy story and I just am not convinced a child would stay with it, I didn't as an adult.
Read
November 5, 2014Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall were instrumental women that protected birds from being killed in a time when people wore dead birds and feathers on their hats. They established the Audubon Society in Massachusetts and the Society continued to protect endangered species.
June 29, 2015
This is a good book to read after "The boy who loved to draw birds". It talks about women and men who formed a club to save the birds and they called it the Audubon Society after John Audubon.
February 9, 2013
Adults, who won't read children's books, miss out on so much. This book is an excellent example of an interesting incident in American history that is basically unknown to most adults. As always Kathryn Lasky has written an great story and the illustrations by David Catrow are colorful and delightful. I especially appreciated Lasky's "Author's Note: at the end which gave more information about the main characters Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall as well as the link between the Audubon movement and suffrage.
Read
March 26, 2011This is an entertaining history storybook if there ever was one! This story tells the story of the Audobon Society and touches on women's suffrage movements. This book does a great job of putting it into a real-life plot rather than just spitting out facts. I think students will enjoy this book because of how it is written and also because it is information that is not usually brought up in the classroom!
July 11, 2013
Ms. Lasky is one of my favorite authors of nonfiction books. She did yet another wonderful job of making the topic of conservation and an environmental movement funny yet serious. I'm not sure why the artists won an award for his work though; while the illustrations are nice enough, it's really the writing that shines in this book. He made Harriet and Minna look like two dour old ladies who frown on everything.
March 4, 2016
This is the true story of two cousins who petitioned to get birds and feathers removed from women's hats. They started one of the first Audubon Societies, and their persuasiveness led to many laws banning the sale of bird features. Kathryn Lasky's storytelling is engaging, vivid, and witty.
Four stars for Lasky's amazing text. But, two stars for the caricatured people in Catrow's illustrations - not my favorite kind of art.
Four stars for Lasky's amazing text. But, two stars for the caricatured people in Catrow's illustrations - not my favorite kind of art.
December 23, 2007
About two women's quest to save the birds. Focusing on the ban of feathers/birds on hats (this is the turn of the century)- there are even comments against hunting ducks and eating songbird pie- the story follows two cousins who began the Audubon Society. Very cute, and especially a great read for girls- the female cousins start organizing, go undercover, it's great! All white folks.
April 17, 2012
ReReading Rainbow: A Three Hat Day
I don't usually love this type of illustration -- too frentic/ugly but in this book it worked to illustrate the craziness of wearing birds on hats and the energy and brazeness of their rescuers. It was a bit confusing to read but we loved the topic and learning the history of the Audubon Society.
I don't usually love this type of illustration -- too frentic/ugly but in this book it worked to illustrate the craziness of wearing birds on hats and the energy and brazeness of their rescuers. It was a bit confusing to read but we loved the topic and learning the history of the Audubon Society.
March 20, 2015
gr k-2 illustrated fiction
1896, Boston, MA. Tells the story of how cousins Mina Hall and Harriet Hemenway, horrified that bird feathers and even dead birds were being used to decorate hats, founded the Audubon Society and helped get laws passed against using birds and bird feathers to decorate hats.
Great story. Nice balance of illustrations/text. I liked the illustrations.
1896, Boston, MA. Tells the story of how cousins Mina Hall and Harriet Hemenway, horrified that bird feathers and even dead birds were being used to decorate hats, founded the Audubon Society and helped get laws passed against using birds and bird feathers to decorate hats.
Great story. Nice balance of illustrations/text. I liked the illustrations.
June 13, 2009
So good! Woman's rights, animal rights. The founding of the Audubon Society.Women who love fashion but will not sacrifice any lives for the sake of it.
Beautiful illustrations!!
"Well behaved women rarely make herstory"
Beautiful illustrations!!
"Well behaved women rarely make herstory"
April 26, 2012
The ladies in the town are wearing rare and endangered birds on their hats as fashion. One young lady decides to take a stand and stop all the needless killing of these beautiful birds. A great read aloud for all ages and a great read alone for third grade and above.
April 17, 2012
Well! This was fun, educational, and entertaining! My niece seemed to enjoy the story quite well, and both she and my nephew enjoyed the pictures! I enjoyed reading this one--the voice and demeanor of Miss Minna were lots of fun to bring to life!
May 5, 2012
Interested in an entertaining version about how the Audubon Society was created? Lasky tells the story of 2 women in the 1800's who created the Audubon Society and stopped the killing of birds for decorative purposes.
November 30, 2012
This picture book about the founding of the Audubon Society is a solid socially conscious read-aloud for 5-7 year olds. Any younger and it gets too long and all the illustrations of dead birds can be a bit much. Well-written, well-illustrated, and a nice balance of the serious and the silly.
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