Book Review: Boys Who Became Artists

Ginny Hunsberger has joined us with another inspiring book review!

Nature walks and study have been a part of our weekly routine for over a decade. Even though my five sons love being outside, they don’t all love creepy crawlies, and they don’t naturally make their best efforts at recording observations.  Early on we learned that field guides could help us name the insects and birds we encountered. We invested in “real” nature journals with thick paper and blendable colored pencils. Books like Mona Brookes’ Drawing with Children helped us look at objects differently and improve our illustrations. We sang the hymns “This Is My Father’s World” and “For the Beauty of the Earth” with gusto, and we studied how God created the world. Each of these things better opened our eyes to see the world God made, but when we read biographies about real boys who observed the world and illustrated their findings, it gave my sons new inspiration in their nature study.

Marguerite Henry’s illustrated chapter book Benjamin West and His Cat Named Grimalkin tells about the childhood of Benjamin West. Raised in a family of Quakers, Benjamin’s parents were God-fearing and hardworking. When Benjamin showed an interest and talent for art, his parents’ did not encourage him, and he didn’t have any typical store bought art supplies. The story comes to life as you see West’s passion for art and his ingenuity to use what he had available to him to create the pictures he imagined. For animal lovers, West’s cat Grimalkin plays a key role, too. In his adult life, West moved to England and his patron was none other than King George III.

In a similar way, The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon written by Jacqueline Davies and illustrated by Melissa Sweet tells the story of the now famous John Audubon and his interest in birds. Like West, Audubon’s father did not encourage his nature study, but Audubon spent his free time illustrating what he saw in meticulous detail. The book tells how he figured out how to tag birds in order to study their nesting habits. In parts, the illustrations are collaged including some of Audubon’s own work. The pictures and the story combine to bring Audubon’s story to life in a way that relates to all ages.

I could have told my sons to be thankful for their paper and pencils. I could have told them to do their best quality work in their nature illustrations. I would rather show them these lessons by reading about real boys they could relate to.