History, CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge
She liked hats. No, she loved hats. But when she learned how the hats with feathers (and even birds) were made, she decided that something must be done! And not only would she start the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Harriet Hemenway would stop women from wearing hats with real birds and feathers on them. And in Harriet’s Ruffled Feathers: The Woman Who Saved Millions of Birds by Joy McCullough and illustrated by Romina Galotta, we are introduced to how.
This picture book is simple, and yet, is busy. Things are straight forward, focusing on the hat issue but allowing a small peek into other parts of Hemenway’s life.This includes illustrations that are colorful, romantic and with details but not necessarily overwhelming or overcrowded, yet also not lacking. They do add a bit of whimsey to things, almost being too sweet at times. I assume that this stereotypical “girly” imagery is to set the stage for Hemenway’s personality and the personality of the time. It also counters the seriousness of using real birds to make so-called fashion. Included at the end are notes on birdwatching and how to make pretend binoculars.
This picture book is great for women’s history (March is Women’s History Month), for environmentalists, animal lovers in general or for bird lovers. It leans towards at least ages five and up, but could go into first and second grade. However, the picture book format could turn them off to things. It could work as a group read aloud and one-on-one. Due to the fact that real birds were used for these hats, the more sensitive reader might not be ready for that, but it is handled responsibly.
