life as a painter and naturalist was often difficult: He was separated from his family for long periods of timewhile out gathering specimens for his paintings, frequently living hand-to-mouth. No one was paying him to paint birds; it was his idea and his passion. But he managed to paint more than four hundred North American bird species, each one a carefully rendered portrait—from the dowdy field sparrow to the flamboyant flamingo.
It’s a bit ironic that his paintings depict such lively, animated birds. His artistic methodology would be illegal today! He killed nearly all of his subjects, using a shotgun, and did indeed use wire to position the dead specimens into lifelike poses. His images were huge, all of them life-size; the pages of his Birds of America were nearly three feet tall, so large that two people were needed to turn the pages carefully, and special tables were required to display the books.
In 1821 Audubon lived for about four months at Oakley Plantation, not far from New Orleans, Louisiana. To earn his room and board while staying at Oakley he gave the plantation owner’s daughter, Eliza Pirrie, dancing and drawing lessons. By reading his journals, we know that Audubon was particularly charmed and inspired by the woods and bayous around Oakley and worked diligently on many of his paintings at the plantation.
The fictionalized events in the story of Celeste take place during those four months. Some of it is true: Joseph was indeedshot while out flushing turkeys during a hunt, for example; and Audubon did keep a live ivory-billed woodpecker and a live osprey for a time.
But did Joseph have a field mouse for a companion? Was Eliza’s old dollhouse tucked away in the attic? I like to think so.
I am so fortunate to have honest, encouraging, thoughtful, and talented friends who have spent many hours of their time reading drafts of this story and kindly giving me helpful suggestions. Many, many thanks to Quinn Keeler, Laura Behm, Nancy Powell, Roland Smith, Margaret Elliot, and Nan Fry.
Thank you, Amy Ryan, for your marvelous enthusiasm and energy with the design and layout.
And to my wonderful editor and friend, Katherine Tegen, with much love and appreciation, I dedicate this book.
About the Author
HENRY COLE is the illustrator of many beloved books for children, including his own JACK’S GARDEN and ON MEADOWVIEW STREET . While growing up in Virginia, he enjoyed spending time outdoors, hiking in the woods and pretending he was Audubon. Sometimes he pretended he was an osprey. He still loves being outside, especially in his garden in Florida, where he loves to sketch and write. You can visit Henry online at www.henrycole.net.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Credits
Jacket art © 2010 by Henry Cole
Jacket design by Amy Ryan
Copyright
A NEST FOR CELESTE : A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home. Copyright © 2010 by Henry Cole. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cole, Henry, date
A nest for Celeste / Henry Cole.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Celeste, a mouse longing for a real home, becomes a source of inspiration to teenaged Joseph, assistant to the artist and naturalist John James Audubon, at a New Orleans, Louisiana, plantation in 1821.
ISBN 978-0-06-170410-9 (trade bdg.: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-06-170411-6 (lib. bdg.: alk.
It’s a bit ironic that his paintings depict such lively, animated birds. His artistic methodology would be illegal today! He killed nearly all of his subjects, using a shotgun, and did indeed use wire to position the dead specimens into lifelike poses. His images were huge, all of them life-size; the pages of his Birds of America were nearly three feet tall, so large that two people were needed to turn the pages carefully, and special tables were required to display the books.
In 1821 Audubon lived for about four months at Oakley Plantation, not far from New Orleans, Louisiana. To earn his room and board while staying at Oakley he gave the plantation owner’s daughter, Eliza Pirrie, dancing and drawing lessons. By reading his journals, we know that Audubon was particularly charmed and inspired by the woods and bayous around Oakley and worked diligently on many of his paintings at the plantation.
The fictionalized events in the story of Celeste take place during those four months. Some of it is true: Joseph was indeedshot while out flushing turkeys during a hunt, for example; and Audubon did keep a live ivory-billed woodpecker and a live osprey for a time.
But did Joseph have a field mouse for a companion? Was Eliza’s old dollhouse tucked away in the attic? I like to think so.
I am so fortunate to have honest, encouraging, thoughtful, and talented friends who have spent many hours of their time reading drafts of this story and kindly giving me helpful suggestions. Many, many thanks to Quinn Keeler, Laura Behm, Nancy Powell, Roland Smith, Margaret Elliot, and Nan Fry.
Thank you, Amy Ryan, for your marvelous enthusiasm and energy with the design and layout.
And to my wonderful editor and friend, Katherine Tegen, with much love and appreciation, I dedicate this book.
About the Author
HENRY COLE is the illustrator of many beloved books for children, including his own JACK’S GARDEN and ON MEADOWVIEW STREET . While growing up in Virginia, he enjoyed spending time outdoors, hiking in the woods and pretending he was Audubon. Sometimes he pretended he was an osprey. He still loves being outside, especially in his garden in Florida, where he loves to sketch and write. You can visit Henry online at www.henrycole.net.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Credits
Jacket art © 2010 by Henry Cole
Jacket design by Amy Ryan
Copyright
A NEST FOR CELESTE : A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home. Copyright © 2010 by Henry Cole. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cole, Henry, date
A nest for Celeste / Henry Cole.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Celeste, a mouse longing for a real home, becomes a source of inspiration to teenaged Joseph, assistant to the artist and naturalist John James Audubon, at a New Orleans, Louisiana, plantation in 1821.
ISBN 978-0-06-170410-9 (trade bdg.: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-06-170411-6 (lib. bdg.: alk.
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