Tag: animal homes

Where Birdie Lives (Elena Tsvetaeva)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Where Birdie Lives by Elena Tsvetaeva, a fun lift-the-flap board book that explores animals’ homes.

Spying a small blue bird flying by, the white dog asks “Are you flying home? Where do you live?” Passing by all manner of animal homes – such as burrows, trees, ponds, etc. – the dog peeks under the flaps of the book to find which spot the birdie calls home (with the reader’s help, of course). He finds all sorts of forest critters, but the birdie is nowhere to be found. At last, following the direction of some helpful squirrels and an owl, he spies the birdie in its nest atop a tree. And as nighttime falls, birdie and dog both snuggle into their beds for sweet dreams.

Very cute. Following a simple storyline across a lovely sunset-colored setting, the littlest bookworms will have fun discovering the animals hidden in the pages. The utilization of the lift-the-flap is very well done here, wherein the author chooses to hide the animals and revealing bits of text under flaps that are camouflaged to look like the nature surrounding them – the three tiny frogs, each hidden behind a lily blossom petal were an especially cute touch. The illustrations of the animals are a bit strange, even occasionally off-putting to my eyes – especially the freckled, human-eyed dog – but JJ REALLY seemed to enjoy them, so that may simply be a question of personal taste; plus, it’s hard to deny the darling image of the little birdie tucked under a blanket for bedtime. The length is perfect for the smallest bookworms, and overall it was a sweet and entertaining read. Baby Bookworm approved!

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

A Place To Start A Family: Poems About Creatures That Build (David L. Harrison)

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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.)