Saturday 9 November 2013

Two Nests by Laurence Anholt and Jim Coplestone (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E)


This is a picture of the hardback

September 2013, Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 32 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: life for a family, what happens for divorcing birds, how the chick reacts, seasons and their affect on the weather and nature

Content: You will need a lot of tissues!

Summary from Frances Lincoln
Betty and Paul are two little birds who build a nest together in a cherry tree. Betty lays an egg and out pops Baby Bird. Everyone is happy and all the other animals come to see the baby. But the nest is small, Betty and Paul squabble, and they decide that Paul should live in a different nest across the other side of the tree…

Nayuleska's thoughts 
When I picked this book off my to be read pile I hadn't read the book's summary. From the bright and
cheery cover I hadn't expected the subject to be divorce. I cried when I read the dedication because it was so touching. I adored the original nest- it had both plumbing and electricity! I pretended the energy came from the tree sap which somehow provided a water source too. How else could I have explained to myself how a nest has a lamp and a sink??!! They were rather close together, which was a health and safety issue that thankfully wasn't an issue.

I thought it was really sweet how the story showed Betty and Paul as they got to know each other before the chick appeared on the scene. I feel letting children know how happy parents are before they have to separate is an important part of explaining how much they themselves are loved. I cried when Paul had another nest, then cried at the happy ending when the chick goes back and forth between the nests. It's a touching read on a difficult topic.

Find out more on Laurence's website.

Suggested read
Another picture book which deals with divorce is Living with Mum and Living with Dad by Melanie Walsh (Children's Picture book, 10E/10E)

No comments: