Florence Merriam Bailey developed a love of nature as a young child, especially birds, whose melodies and flight fascinated her. She wrote numerous books, including one of the earliest field guides to American birds, while also listening, waiting, and watching to better understand her feathered friends. Her efforts finally improved bird conservation and allowed for the scientific study of birds in the wild as opposed to in a lab. The story of a lady who was ahead of her time is brought to life in Andrea D’Aquino’s latest book, She Heard the Birds, which she wrote after A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa. Each page is a pleasure to read because of D’Aquino’s eye-catching full-page collages.
