The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist

K-Gr 3—This stellar picture book biography examines the life of Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Inspired by John James Audubon's work but disgusted by the practice of killing and mounting birds in order to draw them, Fuertes was one of the first to paint birds while observing them in their natural habitat. Bereghici's stunning watercolor and ink spreads practically fly off the page with their richly colored, realistic depictions of Fuertes's environment and experiences. All but a few birds represented in the illustrations are artfully labeled. The narrative is told in the first person from Fuertes's perspective, with helpful chapterlike headings appearing every few pages. The text is minimal, but Engle has selected strong, descriptive words to tell this story. This title would work well as a mentor text for demonstrating how to write a biography from the subject's point of view. Readers will enjoy learning about how Fuertes's passion for birds, which began from a very young age, led to a fulfilling career.