Booklife Review

Wasko’s gorgeously illustrated debut is an entertaining lesson on the diversity of bird homes: “each has their own way of making a nest, and each will tell you that their way is best.” Wasko draws more than just nests, however; meticulously detailed landscapes and habitats adorn every page, and Wasko includes facts about each animal within her rhyming couplets. She shares that flamingos, for example, have pink feathers because of their shrimp based diet, while penguins, who “swim like a fish but sadly can’t fly,” use their feet and body warmth to keep their eggs safe.

A graphic designer and illustrator of Down In the Jungle, Wasko has a keen eye for compelling visuals; each landscape has a liveliness and movement that encourages repeat readings, and that richness hinges on Wasko’s research and commitment to draw these birds as they appear in the wild and show readers how they really live. Herons glide over and step through shallow wetlands, quails shelter their eggs in a billowing autumnal scene of amber and ochre foliage, and the fire-breasted robin stands sentinel over its nest of progeny with their ocean-colored shells.

Wasko’s picture book is not just educational; it is also a celebration of ornithological life and the ingenuity of nest architecture across species and geographical locales. The tern, a seabird, builds a well in the sand, while a tailorbird sews leaves together using plant fibers and “spider web thread.” Young readers will delight in Wasko’s stunning illustrations and charming rhymes, but they will also be introduced to the wonders of the nesting world and learn that nature creates thousands of ways a bird can create a “safe place where chicks can hatch and grow.”

Takeaway: Artful picture book showcasing the many ways birds build nests.

Comparable Titles: Lizzy Rockwell’s A Bird Is a Bird, Mike Unwin’s Migration.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A