Two Nests - Softcover

Anholt, Laurence

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847804969 ISBN 13: 9781847804969

Publisher: Lincoln Children's Books, 2015

Synopsis

This is a gentle story about family separation with a happy ending. 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... Now there are two nests in the cherry tree. But Betty and Paul both love Baby Bird, and soon he is able to fly over the cherry tree, visiting his Two Nests.

About this title

About the Author

Laurence Anholt has been described as "one of the most versatile writers working for children today" and was included in The Independent on Sunday Top Ten Children’s Authors in Britain. He has produced more than 90 children’s books which are published in dozens of languages around the world, many of them in collaboration with his wife, Catherine. His titles range from the Anholt’s Artists art story books to the irrepressible Chimp and Zee. He has won numerous awards, including the Nestle Smarties Gold Award on two occasions. He lives in Colyton, Devon, U.K. Jim Coplestone is an artist, illustrator, and sculptor who has illustrated many acclaimed children’s picture books. His first collaboration with Laurence Anholt was Seven for a Secret, praised for its sensitive treatment of the relationship with a grandparent, and bereavement. Since then he has illustrated Animals Aboard and The No-No Bird with Andrew Fusek Peters, and A Walk in the Wild Woods with Lis Jones. He lives in Charmouth, Devon, U.K.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2—Betty and Paul meet at the top of a cherry tree in the fall. These two funny birds build a nest to stay cozy throughout the cold winter, and by the time the cherry blossoms arrive, so does a little egg. Adorable Baby Bird is soon born, and life seems happy enough. But then the laundry and dirty dishes pile up, and Paul and Betty start to squabble. They decide the nest isn't big enough for all three of them, so Paul moves out to build his own nest on the opposite end of the tree. Everyone is sad, but Betty assures Baby Bird: "You had a home,/now you have two,/four little words, dear-/We Both Love You." When summer comes, Baby Bird flies back and forth between the nests. Anholt's rhymes are bouncy, and Coplestone's watercolor illustrations are full of colorful curlicues. However, the bright pictures and tone of the book at the beginning are so cheerful that the parents' breakup comes as an unexpected shock. The reason for the split seems superficial-the nest was crowded. One may wonder why they just didn't build a bigger one so they would all fit. The sudden twist from a happy family tale to an allegory for divorce is disturbing.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

About this edition

• Publisher: Lincoln Children's Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1847804969
• ISBN 13: 9781847804969
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32