John James Audubon

U.S. Landmark Books #48

by Margaret Ford Kieran, John Kieran, Christine Price (Illustrator)

Biographical information on John James AUDUBON

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction

182 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Margaret Ford Kieran was a former editor and feature writer for the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and New York Times.

Reviews

[Lmichelleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this Landmark title at a beautiful used book store, and thought my nature loving heart would enjoy it. I was right! I loved all that I learned from this children's biography about this man who is now a household name. References to Sir Walter Scott and Jacques-Louis David especially caught my attention. I finished with a desire to read what letters I could find between John and his wife Lucy, so it is safe to say I've found new people to care about!

[Ammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved learning more about our favorite bird artist this week.

[Caleb Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

He was a typical distracted boy, who like Fulton, did not care at all for learning quietly from the masters in the studio. Rather, from a very young age, he dedicated his time to nature study. He was a terrible businessman, and didn't provide for his family for years, which is ridiculous. He had a fantastic (and economically clever wife) and his sons helped out greatly in his business life later on. His fame not only came because he was an ingenious artist who cared about nature as it actually was, but also resulted from his family who helped him out greatly. He was so distracted and awed by creation that his wife wrote, "If I were jealous, I would have a hard time of it, for every bird is my rival."

[Rebecca Martell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light and entertaining biography about the famous artist and naturalist Jean Jaques Audubon (John James in English).

Seems to be meant for the upper elementary or middle-grade crowd. Large print, simple sentences, short chapters.

Includes a number of two-color illustrations (black, white, green) which by Christine Price, perhaps ironically, have little artistic merit compared to other illustrations in books of that era (ex, Beth and Joe Krush or Russell H. Tandy).

Also includes a rather extensive index. Could be useful for a schoolchild's research project, book report, read-aloud time, or an Audubon fan's collection.

[Rich Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much stronger biography than I expected, with excellent excerpts from his letters and a fair amount of criticism. It also gives a fair amount of credit to his wife, if you read between the lines and ignore the patronizing dutiful wife adjectives amongst her actions. This is a great companion to the graphic novel Audubon: On the Wings of the World that I read a few months ago and a solid part of the Landmark series.

[David Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short biography of an outstanding naturalist. I always thought that Audubon was from England, never realized that he grew up in France. This book is really easy to read, the type is double spaced and so large that I can read it without my glasses. Some illustrations, but none by Audubon himself.