The Nest That Wren Built

by Randi Sonenshine, Anne Hunter (Illustrator)

Overview

Nature lovers and poetry fans alike will be drawn to this lyrical picture book depicting how Carolina wrens build a nest for their young.

This is the bark, snippets of twine,
spidery rootlets, and needles of pine
that shape the nest that Wren built.

In the rhyming style of “The House That Jack Built,” this poem about the care and specificity that Carolina wrens put into building a nest is at once tender and true to life. Papa and Mama Wren gather treasures of the forest, from soft moss for a lining to snakeskin for warding off predators. Randi Sonenshine’s lilting stanzas, woven with accurate and unexpected details about Carolina wrens, and Anne Hunter’s gentle, inviting illustrations reveal the mysterious lives of these birds and impart an appreciation for the wonder of the life cycles around us. Back matter includes a glossary and additional interesting facts about wrens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536201536
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	340,231
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Randi Sonenshine is a middle-school literacy coach and writer. This is her first picture book. She lives in northwest Georgia with her family.

Anne Hunter has written and illustrated many picture books, including Possum and the Summer Storm, Cricket Song, and Possum’s Harvest Moon. Originally from South Florida, she now lives in Vermont with her family.

Editorial Reviews

A familiar cumulative rhyme pattern here describes the activities of a pair of wrens from nest construction through incubation and hatching of eggs to the fledging of their offspring. Nesting birds are a popular picture-book subject, but this appreciative account stands out both for its descriptive language and its evocative illustrations...All in all, a delightfully readable and informative wrendition.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This absolutely delightful rhyming bird book, patterned on the poem ‘The House That Jack Built,’ is fun to read aloud and incredibly detailed in both words and pictures. With perfect back matter on wrens and their nests, it’s a winner all around. Hurrah for the wrens!
—Jane Yolen, author of Owl Moon, You Nest Here with Me, and An Egret’s Day

This is an excellent informational picture book to read to kindergarten or first grade classes as a delightful, accessible introduction to the nest-building behavior of birds.
—School Library Journal

Warmed with muted colors, the precise, crosshatched drawings use natural forms and curving lines to create scenes with hidden details for children to discover. A beautiful picture book.
—Booklist Online

From the Publisher

02/01/2020

PreS-Gr 1—Crafted with care from materials found nearby, Mama and Papa Wren's nest is a cozy, safe place for their babies to thrive. Beginning with twigs and bark, the frame for the Wrens' nest nestles into the cradle of several tree branches. Bit by bit, more is added to the nest: leaves and pine needles for structure, a spider sac and snakeskin for protection. The baby birds hatch and grow in the nest, finally spreading their wings and learning to fly. Using the structure of "The House that Jack Built," this version features a lovely, singsong rhythm and structure that is ideally suited for young children. Within the short lines of text and the artfully crafted phrases, Sonenshine delivers a wealth of information about how wrens construct their nests and work together to raise their young. The accompanying illustrations incorporate a limited color palette that speaks to the earthy tones of the wren's natural environment. VERDICT This is an excellent informational picture book to read to kindergarten or first grade classes as a delightful, accessible introduction to the nest-building behavior of birds.—Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2019-11-10
A familiar cumulative rhyme pattern here describes the activities of a pair of wrens from nest construction through incubation and hatching of eggs to the fledging of their offspring.

Nesting birds are a popular picture-book subject, but this appreciative account stands out both for its descriptive language and its evocative illustrations. Those reading aloud will appreciate the regular rhythm, intriguing vocabulary, and deft turns of phrase. Not only does Sonenshine smoothly introduce specific words for the growing chicks ("hatchlings," "nestlings," "fledglings," all clear in context and additionally defined in a glossary at the end), she also uses engaging adjectives: "reptilian charm," "persnickety burr," "mirthful song." There is interesting and appropriate imagery as well: "twigs…cradle the nest," which will be lined with "moss, softer than suede." Hunter uses ink and colored pencils on various shades of colored paper to illustrate the process. From vignettes to double-page spreads, these scenes focus on the wrens but also include other animals for observant readers to find; a final spread shows a mouse climbing into the now-empty nest. Following the pattern of the nursery rhyme, the author uses Wren as a proper noun in the repeated phrase "the nest that Wren built," but in a final page of appended facts she makes clear that both the male and the female are involved in the various steps of the nest-building process.

All in all, a delightfully readable and informative wrendition. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

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