This Poem Is a Nest

Gr 3 Up—Latham uses a single poem, which details the seasonal evolution of a bird's nest, as the foundation for 161 smaller "nestling" poems. Latham only utilizes words found in her "Nest" poem to create the other poems, and she keeps the words in the same order as they appear in the original work. The author also achieves the feat of using each of the words from "Nest" at least once. "Nest" is a gorgeous rush of sensory imagery, from "little bits of feather-fluff" to the "wild cathedral of forest" soaring above. The nestling poems center on subjects as diverse as losing a sports game, the color black, a herd of alpaca in the rain, and what to do when you feel hopeless. Each nestling is a warm, accessible, bite-size poem. Some are playful and some are profound. Young writers will be motivated to find their own nestlings and to think deeply about the power of words. Latham offers friendly and encouraging advice on how to create nestling poems and reminds writers that they are both poets and poems themselves. Wright's soft illustrations are gentle, and the ink washes create a lush, dreamy feel. The illustrations of children pictured on each section's title page perhaps skew a bit on the younger side. However, this book can be enjoyed by any age. The children are depicted with light skin and dark skin. VERDICT A beautiful, emotional, and incredibly creative poetry book that inspires reflection, dreaming, and writing. A must for libraries and schools.—Shannon O'Connor, Unami M.S., Chalfont, PA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

★ Each nestling [poem] is a warm, accessible, bite-size poem. Some are playful and some are profound. Young writers will be motivated to find their own nestlings and to think deeply about the power of words. Wright's soft illustrations are gentle, and the ink washes create a lush, dreamy feel. A beautiful, emotional, and incredibly creative poetry book that inspires reflection, dreaming, and writing. A must for libraries and schools. —School Library Journal, starred review

★ A gifted poet demonstrates the remarkable versatility of words through one kind of found poetry. '[N]ested' poems are hidden inside larger poems like nesting dolls. These short poems cover simple themes, such as colors, days, seasons, and animals, as well as more complex ones. The invitations to think metaphorically and to discover poetry that might be right at hand are friendly and clear... The repetition of words becomes an echo of a familiar melody running throughout the collection as they become the molecules of new poems and become fresh again. Wright's art in full-page section-introducing illustrations, along with spot illustration and margin art, gives a warm and lighthearted dimension to the pages. Delightful. —Kirkus Reviews, starred review