Olivia's Birds: Saving the Gulf [Hardcover]

Olivia Bouler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2011 | Age Range: 3 - 9 years | Lexile Measure: 880L (What's this?)

One 11 year-old girl can make a difference-as budding ornithologist and artist Olivia Bouler has proven, single-handedly raising over $175,000 for the Gulf Coast oil spill recovery. Devastated by the disaster and eager to do her part, Olivia wrote a letter to Audubon, “11 years old and willing to help” offering her own bird paintings to raise contributions for Gulf recovery efforts. The idea took flight, and Olivia proceeded to send out over 500 paintings, many of which are captured in this lavish picture book that recaps her valiant campaign to save birds affected by the spill.

Written in her own words, this unique introduction to backyard and endangered birds features Olivia's hand-drawn illustrations, bird facts, and full-color photos celebrating Olivia's campaign. Olivia's Birds

supports Audubon's conservation mission, including Gulf Coast cleanup efforts and is printed on FSC eco-friendly paper.

A 2012 Parents' Choice Gold Awards winner!

Editorial Reviews

Review

“It's always a pleasure to find a book that's not just good--it's about doing good …This book features her charming illustrations, captioned with snippets of information about particular species…This makes for a terrific package that should inspire children in lots of ways: to use their talents, to help their communities, and to make a difference in the world.” --Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)

 

“Her love of birds and drawing gives the book touching beauty and lyricism. The child's straightforward voice is engaging, evocative, and insightful, and her bird-watching advice is spot-on...Budding naturalists, artists, and activists will be inspired ...” --School Library Journal

 

“…Casual, informative passages…upbeat… carefully observed and spirited; her vivacious attitude may inspire ecologically minded readers to get involved.” --Publishers Weekly

 

“A lot of artists paint from the heart. This one, though, paints from a broken one.”
- Steve Hartman, CBS Evening News

“What I love is you're inspiring little kids to find a way that they can help as well.”
- Kathie Lee Gifford, The Today Show

About the Author

Olivia Bouler is eleven years old and lives in Long Island with her parents and little brother Jackson. She currently spends much of her time working on various recovery efforts and attending speaking engagements across the country on behalf of bird and wildlife advocacy. To date, she has drawn over 100 different species of birds and created over 500 paintings for her Save the Gulf campaign.

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 9 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sterling; First Edition edition (April 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402786654
• ISBN-13: 978-1402786655
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

11 years old and willing to help is how Olivia Bouler described herself to the Audubon Society when she contacted them about the tragedy in the Gulf. Aspiring ornithologist, artist, and saxophone player, Olivia wept when she heard about the oil spill in the Gulf Coast, a place where she spent many vacations with her cousins and grandparents who live in Louisiana and Alabama. Knowing birds were going to suffer, she had to take action. Inspired by her hero James Audubon, Olivia wrote to the Audubon Society about her fundraising idea, using her talent as an artist to give bird drawings to those who donated to wildlife recovery efforts. Olivia drew and donated 500 original drawings and thousands of limited edition prints throughout the summer of 2010.
Now 13, Olivia is busy with a traveling exhibition and a new children's board game about migrating birds.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Resource April 2, 2011

By MDM

Format:Hardcover

Oliva's talent and dedication to nature and "her" birds is very evident in her first book. Although the reading age is 9-12, this book is a must for many people. Both of my sons (ages 6 and 10) loved the pictures and text, but more importantly it led to discussions with me about what we see around us everyday and how we can do little and big things to better our world. In addition, I think school libraries, elementary classrooms, grandparents and any interested artist would enjoy Olivia's book. The information is accessible, inspirational and informative - and a purchase supports Audubon and their good works. Overall, a must have!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive! March 30, 2011

By Lisa Barker

Format:Hardcover

Impressive! Everything about Olivia's book and fundraiser shows a lot of heart. From her colorful, accurate and detailed sketches, to the words on the page to her amazing resourcefulness in waging a campaign to help out after the Gulf Coast disaster, this eleven-year old shows that impossible is not a word in her vocabulary and it doesn't have to be in ours. This book is totally appropriate for nature loving kiddos ages 9-12, especially bird lovers. Olivia provides facts about the birds and their plight (if endangered) making this an eco-conscious book. She also suggests practical, doable ways kids can help out. A great book to purchase knowing that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Audubon's Gulf Coast clean up efforts. - Biblio Reads Children's Book Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Birds! April 14, 2011

By modernemama

Format:Hardcover

Olivia's message to the world is that birds are amazing creatures and we should be doing our utmost to protect them. This charming book can be read as a picture book, a guide book or a how-to manual for saving the environment. It's written by an 11 year old who wants to share her fascination with wildlife as well as her beautiful drawings. A must for every elementary schoolroom and all kids 5-12.