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 pinethat 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.
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.
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
