This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon
by Nancy Plain
Nonfiction/Illustrated Biography
136 pages
University of Nebraska Press (2015)
Suggested for: Dialectic students (but Rhetoric students and even adults would enjoy it, too)
As soon as I discovered this book, I knew that I had to share it! This lovely work of nonfiction is a wonderful mix of biography, history, natural history, and art. The biographical aspect is very comprehensive, covering Audubon's life from his birth on a plantation in Haiti, through his experiences in France during the French Revolution, to his life in America and his mission to create an illustration of every bird species in North America. There are, of course, many examples of Audubon's impressively detailed illustrations, as well as photographs.
So much here to love! This book is a perfect example of the beauty of whole-book learning: in setting out to learn about an ornithologist/naturalist, your students will learn a tremendous amount of history, see examples of nature journaling at its finest, gain understanding and empathy for a complex man, and be gently led through a stellar geography lesson.
Perfect tandem read for Rhetoric students and adults (although even the youngest students will enjoy looking at the pictures):
The Birds of America
by John James Audubon
(This is Audubon's greatest work and is still considered one of the finest ornithological works ever published.)
