Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?

Layering delicate leaves and branches in green-browns, gold-greens, and touches of scarlet, newcomer Pak gives Gray's (One Big Rain) story about nesting robins a quiet, measured dynamism. The restraint of the artwork dovetails nicely with the story's themes: caretaking, which is what the nesting robin is doing, and observation, which is what a human boy and girl are doing. The two talk about the birds they see, some of which are voicing their characteristic calls ("Sparrow makes a simple jingle./ chiddik, chiddik/ Swallow slides from under a shingle./ ha-ha-chit-chit-chit"). One bird, though, is mysteriously silent. " 'Not a single tweet or trill.'/ 'This nesting bird is so still!' " The secret to the robin's long stay on her nest is revealed as a dialogue between the sounds coming from the nest ("Tapping Cracking") and the children's observations ("The bird is starting to move around!"). It's a fine first book about watching living beings in the wild, and it also serves as a beginning birders' guide, identifying the features and cries of common backyard birds. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Fiona Kenshole, Transatlantic Literary Agency. (Mar.)■

PreS-Gr 3--A boy and girl on a neighborhood walk encounter many birds singing and calling. Short rhyming verses capture the essence of these backyard birds, e.g., "Cardinal wears a pointy hat. 'cheer-cheer-cheer-purdy-purdy-purdy'/Chickadee is an acrobat. 'chick-a-dee-dee-dee.'" The children wonder why the robin nesting in the tree next to their house is silent, until the day when cheeping, peeping follow the tapping, cracking sounds of the eggs hatching. Soft watercolor and collagelike digital art beautifully impart a springtime feeling to the spreads. Following the poem-story is a two-page mock "interview" with the mother bird, which serves as a useful explanation of nesting behaviors. This lovely introduction to common neighborhood birds also includes some less familiar varieties, such as the wood thrush and the whip-poor-will.--Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA

"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