"If a bird so much as twitches a wing,
she freezes ... and waits for it to relax.
The birds, wary at first, are soon chirping
hellos and flitting onto Geneva's head and
shoulders, tiny claws tickle poking, as she pulls
treats from her apron pocket.
Happy birds, happy bird girl."
As a seven-year-old, as soon as her chores were completed, Geneva Grace Stratton took to exploring every inch of her family's farm. She chased butterflies, tasted berries from a nearby tree, fed the pigs, waded in the pond and climbed trees without a care or a worry. All the while, she was also watching the birds and trying to find the answers to the many questions she had about them.
"How do they decide where to build their nests?
What do they feed their babies?
Does all that chirping and singing mean anything?"
She even protected a family of hawks that were surely a threat to the farm's chickens. When her father wounded one of them, Geneva asked to foster it. She did everything she could to help it heal. From then on, all injured birds became her charges until they were ready to fly once more. Years passed while Geneva continued caring for the birds she so loved. When the family moved from farm to town, she didn't like it at all. When her mother died, things only got worse. All the while she cared for the birds she brought with her to the family's new home.
In later years, after marriage, 'Gene' moved back to the country where she wrote true stories about her many experiences with the birds she discovered. Eventually, with camera in hand, she began taking better and better photos and used them to illustrate her bird stories. She travelled endlesslysearching to find and photograph birds, no matter the difficulties. Nothing deterred her. She became known as the Bird Woman of the Limberlost by all who loved her work and escapades. Her childhood love for birds had returned and she learned to share it with anyone who might be interested.
An author's note provides further information about 'one of America's first bird photographers'. Her fame was widespread. The author also includes more about Gene, two informative websites, a bibliography, archival photos and a list of Gene's selected works.
Illustrations created in acrylic ink and colored pencil appear throughout and provide context for time and place. In her time, she published 5 books. Gene's fame has faded through the years; this book is sure to inspire readers to find out more about her intrepid spirit and her great love for nature's birds.
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