Byrd Baylor

Byrd Baylor is the author of children's picture books. She was on born on March 28, 1924 in San Antonio, Texas. She currently lives near Tucson, Arizona. The environment she grew up plays a significant roll in her writings. She bases most of her books off of the Southwestern geography and climate. Many of her books are centered around the culture of the Tohono O'odham people, which have been her neighbors for years. She has publish 25 children's picture books, four of which are award winning Caldecott Honor books. Caldecott honor is runner up to the Caldecott Medal, which is the best children's book illustrations. Those books are "When Clay Sings", "The Desert is Theirs", "Hawk, I am Your Brother" and "The Way To Start A Day."

Bird Baylor lives in an adobe house in Arizona. This means that there is no electricity and she uses a typewriter in order to compose her work. In many of her books she stresses that too many people are focused on materialistic items and not with their natural environment. I think it is inspiring that she practices what she preaches by living in a house that has no electricity. It shows that she is truly passionate about the environment and the culture that she grew up in.

Her books are very descriptive, providing details about nature someone would have never thought of. I think her books are a good educational tool in a science, or geology section. For example in the "Everybody Needs A Rock" Baylor describes ten rules to picking out a "perfect rock." The rules include things like checking the color, size, shape and smell of the rock. In a classroom this might be a fun activity to have the children follow the steps in her book for picking out a rock and have them pick out their own rock. Also, in another book, "If You Are A Hunter Of Fossils", she describes historic times when their wasn't land but only an ocean where she currently lives. This is a good opportunity to teach children that earth had not always been the way it is now.

Overall, most all of Baylor's books can be used as educational tools in a classroom. They can also be used as moral lessons at home. Parents can read to their children or vice verse and learn together  the importance of appreciating nature and to not get too consumed with materialistic objects. The books also encourage children to go out in the wilderness and experience things. Baylor has a power with words and providing both educational and moral lessons in all of her writings.