Hello, friends! Our book today is A Place To Start A Family: Poems About Creatures That Build, written by David L. Harrison and illustrated by Giles Laroche, an informative look at the architects of the animal kingdom.

Split into sections by environment (Underground Builders, Water Builders, Flying Builders, etc.), each page spread offers a new animal to learn about – how and what they build, why they build it, and how they use it to protect or feed their families. Some animals are familiar, such as the beaver or termite, some are lesser-known, such as the trapdoor spider. And each animal is accompanied by a poem that explore their building habits in rhyming verse.

We’ve really been getting into poetry books lately, and this one was pretty good. The poems, done in varying styles and rhythms, are fun to read while being very informative – who knew the Kind Cobra is the only snake to build a nest for its young? – which is aided by a detailed appendix of each species. The art uses a mix of textures and illustration to create some colorful and compelling visuals, and the length is fine for reading all the way through in one sitting. JJ enjoyed it, and so did I; it’s a great way to learn about new animals while adding a bit of nonfiction poetic flair. Baby Bookworm, approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)