Harriet's Ruffled Feathers: The Woman Who Saved Millions of Birds

by Joy McCullough (Author) Romina Galotta (Illustrator)

Harriet's Ruffled Feathers: The Woman Who Saved Millions of Birds
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Meet the inspiring woman whose love of fashion led her to start a conservation movement and found the Massachusetts Audubon Society in this lively picture book biography.

Harriet Lawrence Hemenway loved hats. She loved them with ribbons and flowers, embroidery and pearls. And feathers! What was better than a hat with grand, glorious feathers? But then Harriet discovered that millions of birds died so that she and her friends could soar at the height of style. A passion for fashion was one thing, but this was feather-brained!

So Harriet led the charge to take feathers out of fashion, getting laws passed that made it illegal to buy or sell wild bird feathers. In 1896, she and her fellow bird protectors founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society, which grew into a national organization that still protects birds today! Additional information about conservation can be found in the backmatter of this engaging picture book.

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$17.99

Publishers Weekly

Bird puns abound in this origin story of the National Audubon Society, focusing on the efforts of Boston socialite Harriet Lawrence Hemenway (1858-1960) to stop the killing of birds for hat plumes. Flying into action with cousin Minna, Hemenway first organized informative tea parties, then rallied "powerful, influential people" to form the Massachusetts Audubon Society, which quickly spread to other states. McCullough's prose maintains a playfully vintage flavor: "To think this bird should be deprived of its own finery for someone else's hat! A passion for fashion was one thing, but this was featherbrained!" Light-hued watercolors by Galotta combine delicate lines with simple figures of various skin tones, intricately rendered fashions, and near-realistic birds in this buoyant portrait of an early female conservationist. Back matter includes an author's note. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--Harriet Lawrence Hemenway was an early environmentalist who cofounded the Massachusetts Audubon Society with Minna B. Hall. As a Boston socialite, Hemenway and her friends often wore beautiful hats adorned with bird feathers. Once made aware of the harm these fashion choices perpetuated, Hemenway began her activist movement to rid feathers from fashion. Her efforts were the inaugural steps of the first Audubon Society, and her lifelong dedication encouraged others to follow in her conservationist path. Lively text pairs perfectly with the dreamy, soft quality of the watercolor illustrations. This book not only tells Hemenway's story, but with extensive and engaging back matter, also encourages readers to stand up for issues they believe in. It includes information about the National Audubon Society, bird watching tips, resources for becoming a conservationist, and a detailed bibliography. VERDICT A thoughtful biography, with an encouraging message to budding activists, this picture book will be a welcome addition to any library collection.--Katherine Forsman

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes




Joy McCullough
Joy McCullough writes books for kids and teens. Her debut young adult novel Blood Water Paint (Dutton/Penguin) was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and won the Washington State and Pacific Northwest Book Awards. Her next young adult novel, We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire, is coming from Dutton on Febuary 9, 2021. Her debut middle grade novel, A Field Guide to Getting Lost (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster), was a Junior Library Guild selection. Her picture book Harriet's Ruffled Feathers (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster) is coming in 2022. She studied theater at Northwestern University, lives in the Seattle area, and is human to Australian Shepherd Athena.

Sheyda Abvabi Best is an artist at a Kansas City-based studio, where she illustrates, designs product, and sculpts. She earned her BA in Illustration at Bethany College, and lives with her husband and very fluffy cat.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781534486768
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date
March 20, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV000000 - Juvenile Fiction | General
Library of Congress categories
Birds
Naturalists
Protection
Conservation of natural resources
Fashion
Hemenway, Harriet
Massachusetts Audubon Society
Hemenway Harriet

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