Harriet's Ruffled Feathers

January 10, 2022
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.

March 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 3 Harriet had "a great big ostrich of a problem." Ladies in the late 1800s wore spectacular hats festooned with massive bird feathers. Harriet loved her hats, but when she and her friend Minna discovered that more than 5 million birds were killed every year for fashion, they were determined to stop the slaughter. They convinced 900 Boston women to boycott the wearing of feathered hats. With the help of influential people, they formed the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and by 1898, even President Teddy Roosevelt was on board. Today, this national organization has helped create conservation legislation that protects habitats for wildlife and important ecosystems. The writing in this fictionalized biography, sprinkled with bird metaphors, sparkles: "Minna kept chirping until she was ninety-two," while Harriet "twittered all the way to her one hundred and third birthday." Pastel watercolors depict ladies in fashionable hats and dresses, the glorious plumage of many birds, and realistic natural environments. Back matter gives information about the Audubon Society, provides instructions for making pretend binoculars, and encourages children to become citizen conservation scientists and environmentalists.

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March 11, 2022

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.

March 1, 2022
Harriet Lawrence Hemenway "loved a hat," especially ones with "grand glorious feathers." That is, until she read a Boston Daily Globe newspaper story in 1896 about the millions of birds that died for fashionable hats such as hers. With help from her cousin Minna B. Hall, Hemenway began a boycott of feathered fashions, promoting her views at tea parties held for society ladies and via leaflets and lectures, persuading more than nine hundred Boston women to join the cause. That same year the two cousins helped found the Massachusetts Audubon Society, dedicated to the protection of birds; by its second year, the organization was in more than ten states and soon was influencing laws and leaders. Back matter explains how today the National Audubon Society "has more than four hundred local chapters across the country" and "reaches millions of people each year." This inspiring story of one woman's ability to enact change (despite not yet having the right to vote) is well served by McCullough's succinct, playful storytelling style, featuring lots of avian wordplay. Galotta's delicate and colorful watercolor illustrations are highly detailed; defined lines help accentuate both high-society refinement and beauty in the natural world. Appended with a bibliography and tips on "How to Bird-watch like Harriet," "How to Make Your Own (Pretend) Binoculars," and "How to Be a Conservationist." Cynthia K. Ritter

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2022
Harriet Lawrence Hemenway "loved a hat," especially ones with "grand glorious feathers." That is, until she read a Boston Daily Globe newspaper story in 1896 about the millions of birds that died for fashionable hats such as hers. With help from her cousin Minna B. Hall, Hemenway began a boycott of feathered fashions, promoting her views at tea parties held for society ladies and via leaflets and lectures, persuading more than nine hundred Boston women to join the cause. That same year the two cousins helped found the Massachusetts Audubon Society, dedicated to the protection of birds; by its second year, the organization was in more than ten states and soon was influencing laws and leaders. Back matter explains how today the National Audubon Society "has more than four hundred local chapters across the country" and "reaches millions of people each year." This inspiring story of one woman's ability to enact change (despite not yet having the right to vote) is well served by McCullough's succinct, playful storytelling style, featuring lots of avian wordplay. Galotta's delicate and colorful watercolor illustrations are highly detailed; defined lines help accentuate both high-society refinement and beauty in the natural world. Appended with a bibliography and tips on "How to Birdwatch like Harriet," "How to Make Your Own (Pretend) Binoculars," and "How to Be a Conservationist."

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)