John James Audubon....

Last term, we studied Benjamin West and his work for our Artist/Picture Study.   This term, we are studying John James Audubon.  We started off reading The Story of John J. Audubon, which is a Signature Book by Joan Howard.   I spent over a week reading the first five chapters aloud.

Initially, there was a small spark, but it just didn't catch fire.  After some pondering with the kiddos, we decided to scrap it.  Instead, reading The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies.  It is recommended by both TruthQuest history and Beautiful Feet.  Davies' book proved to be a suitable replacement.  Obviously the picture book didn't afford the depth of the Signature Book.  However, it provided an overview with a fascinating story and wonderful illustrations.  Now that we have some history on Audubon, we will continue to study his drawings throughout the term using The Birds of America.