ACTIVITY KIT The Sky Painter Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist By Newbery Honor–winning author MARGARITA ENGLE Illustrated by ALIONA BEREGHICI

OUIS LOVES TO WATCH BIRDS. He Ltakes care of them when they are injured and studies how they look and how they move. His father wants him to become an engineer, but Louis 978-1477826331 dreams of being a bird artist. He learns from the still life paintings of John James Audubon, but as Louis grows up, he begins to draw and paint living, flying birds in their natural habitats. Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927) is now known as the father of modern bird art. He traveled all over the world on scientific expeditions to paint birds. His best-known works—paintings for habitat exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York—are still beloved by visitors today. His art helped to encourage wildlife conservation.

Poems by Newbery Honor–winning author Margarita Engle and illustrations by Aliona Bereghici capture the life of Louis Fuertes and the deep sense of wonder that he felt when he painted the sky. The fun activities in this kit will inspire young readers to explore the “magical world of wings!”

www.apub.com • wwww.margaritaengle.com • www.alionabereghici.com Sketch Artist Louis Fuertes learned to draw birds by studying them. Can you study this painting of an Eastern Screech Owl and then sketch him in the notebook below?

The Sky Painter Activity Kit Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Aliona Bereghici. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution. Card for a Friend FOLD Do you have a friend who loves birds? Send him/her a card to show that FOLD you love birds, too! Cut on the dotted line below. With the plain white side of the paper facing you, fold as indicated to create your card.

CUT HERE

The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist Bird Fuertes, Louis Painter: Sky The

from from

—Margarita Engle, —Margarita

of wings! of

the wild beauty wild the

and celebrate and

have learned to enjoy, protect, enjoy, to learned have

All over the world, millions of people of millions world, the over All

eagles, and egrets...... egrets. and eagles,

as they identify songbirds, identify they as

I see people watching the sky the watching people see I

When I walk around the park, the around walk I When

love to collect. to love

on cards that children that cards on

My bird paintings are printed are paintings bird My Bird-watching

The Sky Painter Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist By Newbery Honor–winning author Margarita Engle Illustrated by Aliona Bereghici

Poem © 2015 by Margarita Engle Illustrations © 2015 by Aliona Bereghici Birds, Birds, Birds! The official names of birds often include an identifying characteristic, like the color of the bird, or a unique marking or feature. Look at the list of bird names below. Can you match each name to the correct bird in the drawing? The Sky Painter Painter Sky The

1. American Crow 2. American Goldfinch Activity Kit B 3. Belted Kingfisher

Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Aliona Bereghici. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution. free for photocopied be may page This reserved. rights All ©2015 Bereghici. Aliona by copyright Illustrations 4. Cerulean Warbler HINT: Cerulean is a blue color and E warblers love to sing with an open beak 5. Eastern Bluebird 6. Eastern Screech Owl D 7. Red Crossbill A 8. White-breasted Nuthatch G

C

H F

The Sky Painter Activity Kit Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Aliona Bereghici. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution. 8D 7H, 6A, 5G, 4B, 3E, 2C, 1F, ANSWERS: Bird Teacher When Louis was in college, he used to sketch his teachers as cartoon birds. Can you draw a picture of your teacher below, but turn him or her into a lovely bird? Don’t forget the tail feathers!

The Sky Painter Activity Kit Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Aliona Bereghici. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.