NestingReview posted April 9, 2021.
Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins), 2020. 36 pages.
Review written April 21, 2020, from a library book
Starred Review
We’ve got this in picture books in our library, and the story is slightly fictionalized, but you can also think of this book as a child’s very first nonfiction book about robins.
The story is simple – a robin couple meets, builds a nest, lays eggs, and cares for them. The story is accompanied by Henry Cole’s lovely and detailed illustrations, mostly black and white, but with accents of robin’s egg blue.
There’s a bit of gentle drama in the middle:
Down below, a snake sees the robins’ nest. The snake is hungry, too, and climbs the apple tree.
The robins fight back! They dive and swoop!
They don’t give up until they drive the snake away.
We see the baby robins leave the nest and get ready to start their own home.
It’s simple science for young kids – and it’s soothing and peaceful to see a robin’s life cycle all laid out for you. Henry Cole’s wonderful art makes this book something special.