How does Celeste’s story illustrate The Importance of Friendship? How do her friends help her, and how does she help them in return? How does this theme impact the story’s overall meaning?

Why do Celeste and Joseph question Audubon’s artistic methods, and how does the painter justify his approach? What point is the author making about The Relationship Between Art and Nature?

Over the course of the novel, Celeste makes many friends, including Cornelius and Lafayette. Compare and contrast the thrush and the osprey’s personality traits and character arcs. How do they each play an important role in the novel by advancing the plot, developing a theme, or contributing to Celeste’s character development?