Away with Words The Daring Story Of Isabella Bird

This dashing picture book biography takes us around the world with a daring Victorian female explorer and author.

Exploring was easier said than done for a young woman in nineteenth-century England. But somehow Isabella persisted, and with each journey, she breathed in new ways to see and describe everything around her. Question by question, word by word, Isabella bloomed.

First, out in the English countryside. Then, off to America and Canada. And eventually, around the world, to Africa, Asia, Australia, and more. Always more—more places, more questions, more words—and all those experiences became books, in which she described the land she traveled, the people she met, and the dangers she experienced.

And finally, Isabella returned home to England, where she became the first female member of the Royal Geographic Society and was presented to the Queen. But to wild-vine Isabella, the world was home.

Back matter features an author's note, bibliography, and timeline.

A former high school dance teacher and sign language interpreter, Lori Mortensen is the author of over one hundred book, fiction and nonfiction, including picture books, early and leveled readers, graphic novels, and middle grade. She lives in northern California.

A Louisiana native, Kristy Caldwell received an MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts and has illustrated several picture books and graphic novels. She lives in New York with her partner, theater director Kelly O'Donnell.