Mama Built a Little Nest: with audio recording

by Jennifer Ward, Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)

Overview

A delightful exploration of the incredibly variety of nests birds build for their babies, illustrated by a Caldecott Honoree.

Mama built a little nest
inside a sturdy trunk.
She used her beak to tap-tap-tap
the perfect place to bunk.

There are so many different kinds of birds—and those birds build so many different kinds of nests to keep their babies cozy. With playful, bouncy rhyme, Jennifer Ward explores nests large and small, silky and cottony, muddy and twiggy—and all the birds that call them home!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442449459
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	03/18/2014
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD860L (what's this?)
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Ward has written numerous award-winning picture books, including Just You and Me, illustrated by Alexander Vidal; How to Find a Bird, illustrated by Diana Sudyka; Round, illustrated by Lisa Congdon; and Mama Built a Little Nest and Mama Dug a Little Den, both illustrated by Steve Jenkins. A former elementary educator, Jennifer now travels the country as a public speaker visiting schools and literacy conferences. She lives with her family in Edwardsville, Illinois. Visit her at JenniferWardBooks.com.

Steven Jenkins (1952–2021) was the illustrator of many celebrated children’s books including Can an Aardvark Bark? and Fourteen Monkeys by Melissa Stewart; Hello, Baby! by Mem Fox; Mama Built a Little Nest and Mama Dug a Little Den by Jennifer Ward; and the 2003 Caldecott Honor recipient, What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?, which he created with his wife, Robin Page. Learn more about his life and work at SteveJenkinsBooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

* "Ward and Jenkins show the beautiful variety of bird nests found around the world. Each jaunty, lilting four-line poem describes a type of nest. . . . Jenkins' gorgeous, remarkably realistic illustrations fill each spread and show the birds and nests in lively, species-specific detail. . . . Young bird-lovers will adore this cozy, illuminating look into avian habitats."

Booklist

2014-01-04
Echoing the meter of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create. Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she's found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird's perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins' accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail. A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author's note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews