Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?

By Rita Gray and Kenard Pak

Woodpecker calls from a tree, "cuk-cuk-cuk." Starling sings, "whistle-ee-wee." But have you heard the nesting bird?

In this book, we hear all the different bird calls in counterpoint to the pervasive quiet of a mama bird waiting for her eggs to hatch. Fun and informative back matter takes the shape of an interview so that readers learn more right from the bird's bill. Ken Pak's lively illustrations, paired with Rita Gray's words, render a visual and sonorous picture book to be enjoyed by young naturalists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9780544302013

Rita Gray

Rita Gray is the author of several acclaimed picture books for children. Raised in Southern California, she studied Psychology and Social Work in New York City, where she lives today with her family. During this time, along with knowledgeable teachers, artists and therapists, Rita worked with children and their families. She came to understand that a good book "holds an experience for a child, one that can be visited again and again". Visit her website at www.ritagrayreads.com.

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Reviews for Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Exploring the calls of various avian species, the gently rhyming narrative of this lovely work of picture-book natural history continually returns to the question of the nesting bird - a robin - and what sound she makes. Her silence reveals something to the attentive listener and reader: namely, that she is sitting upon her eggs. Eventually, of course, there will be something to hear, as the baby birds begin to hatch...I appreciated the structure of author Rita Gray's text in Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?, as it highlights the calls of various birds, using both descriptive text and onomatopoeia, while continually returning to the titular question about the nesting bird. This really drives home the central message here, about nesting birds staying quiet, in order to protect their eggs and baby birds. The afterword, written as an interview with one such bird, provides more detailed information about this subject. The accompanying artwork from Kenard Pak is lovely, created using a subtle earthy palette, and beautifully capturing the delicate charm of each bird depicted. All in all, a sweet little book, one which communicates its informational message in an engaging way, and one that I would recommend to young bird and nature lovers.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A charming, beautifully illustrated book for budding young ornithologists.

[saritaince · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An engaging nature tale that builds like a story but also educates along the way. Complemented by thoughtful art that moves the story along. Bird songs as spoken word make this seem like a poetry book. Great for read aloud.

[jenniferm14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This poetic book portrays birds through graceful rhyming. Within these pages includes repetition that will allow children to repeat phrases and participate when read enough. Natural illustrations draw readers in to this poem.

[mhilary-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful book with pictures that show the birds that are singing. A child could spend an afternoon outside looking for all of the birds described.

[yasharab-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It wasn't a sophisticated book, but I think it was really nice.

[kelly1441 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was not a big fan of this book but I did like the drawings

[dramaqueen4015 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book uses a lot of adjectives to describe the birds in the book. it is great for all ages because it is very educational. in the back of the book the author wrote facts about a nesting bird.