Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?

by Rita Gray, Kenard Pak (Illustrator)

Overview

Woodpecker calls from a tree, "cuk-cuk-cuk." Starling sings, "whistle-ee-wee." But have you heard the nesting bird?

In this book, we hear all the different bird calls in counterpoint to the pervasive quiet of a mama bird waiting for her eggs to hatch. Fun and informative back matter takes the shape of an interview so that readers learn more right from the bird's bill. Ken Pak's lively illustrations, paired with Rita Gray's words, render a visual and sonorous picture book to be enjoyed by young naturalists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544302013
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/18/2014
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD430L (what's this?)
File size:	27 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Rita Gray is the author of several acclaimed picture books for children. Raised in Southern California, she studied Psychology and Social Work in New York City, where she lives today with her family. During this time, along with knowledgeable teachers, artists and therapists, Rita worked with children and their families. She came to understand that a good book "holds an experience for a child, one that can be visited again and again". Visit her website at www.ritagrayreads.com.

Kenard Pak is originally from Howard County, Maryland. He worked as a visual development artist for DreamWorks Animation, Disney Feature Animation, and Laika Studios before he began illustrating picture books, including Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?, The Dinner That Cooked Itself, The Fog, and Cat Wishes. He has also written and illustrated a seasonal series that began with Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn. Kenard lives and works in lovely San Francisco with his wife and cats. You can visit his website at pandagun.com.

Editorial Reviews

"The pleasing text is well constructed, with rhythm and rhyme altered in different types of stanzas and distinctive birdsongs included in the verse. . . . A beautifully crafted, informative picture book."
—Booklist, starred review "This charming and unusual nature story contributes something new to the overstuffed field of bird-related picture books. . . . As welcome as the robin in springtime."
—Kirkus, starred review "The restraint of the artwork dovetails nicely with the story's themes: caretaking. . . and observation. . . A fine book about watching living things in the wild, and it also serves as a beginning birders' guide, identifying the features and cries of common backyard birds."
—Publishers Weekly "[A] lovely introduction to common neighborhood birds."
—School Library Journal

"With its many birdcalls that invite imitation, the text is enjoyable in its own right, as are the softly texture, earth-toned setting in which children and birds enjoy each other's company."
—Bulletin —

From the Publisher

★ 2014-01-15
Two children wander through the countryside listening to calls of common birds and wonder why the nesting robin alone does not make a sound. The calls of common birds—mourning dove, woodpecker, starling, sparrow, swallow, crow, cardinal, chickadee, catbird, blue jay, the onomatopoeic whippoorwill and wood thrush—are notated with pleasing accuracy, well enough to allow a child to identify them in nature, even as the children in the book encounter them. Finally, sounds of tapping, cracking and breaking shells emanate from the robin's nest. Cheeping and peeping are heard, and the long silence is broken by the newborn baby robins. The male robin's song is sweetly transcribed as "Cheerily, cheer up! My tree makes syrup! Syrup so sweet!" This charming and unusual nature story contributes something new to the overstuffed field of bird-related picture books. Gray's simple rhymes and accurate bird calls are attractively complemented by Pak's textured watercolor-resist illustrations in soft greens, browns and grays. Each bird is humorously but accurately depicted. A final "Word with the Bird" in Q-and-A format explains in detail why the robin is silent while hatching her eggs and answers many other useful questions, including the role of the father bird and what happens to the babies after they leave the nest. As welcome as the robin in springtime. (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews