Member Reviews
This is truly an intergenerational picture book as mentioned in its description.
Here this is a story mainly of Wren and her Grandpa. When she born her grandpa put her crib near window and one wren box outside of it. Wrens (bird) came to make that box their home and sang to wren (baby) to sleep. She since her very childhood becomes obsessed with birds and loved watching them around, specially in their nest, with her grandpa. Sometime from her room window, sometime from porch.
Then, one spring, Wren’s family moved from their tiny house to a bigger one squished in between two other houses. Mama and Daddy decided it was perfect. Wren wasn’t so sure. She was worried that she wouldn't going to see any wrens nearby as there are lesser trees and their new house was built between 2 other houses. But one day she saw one nest on the beam of porch's beam. She quietly went up and carefully saw to find 5 laid eggs their waiting to be hatched. She watched how mama and daddy phoebes fed their newly born chicks and told this all to her grandpa and mother thereafter who was expecting and laughed hearing her experiences. But the day her grandpa finished his job, those phoebes fledged and flew away, leaving the nest empty.
But the very next day, her mother bought newly born little sister of Phoebe to home. The thought she had on missing her bird phoebes, just lost somewhere in her mind, watching her little sister. Her grandpa moved phoebe's crib near window hoping one day Wren will teach her too about birds.
This book is not just for children but for adults too. It tells the impact that these little creatures (birds) had on them because of our activities. We humans, acquired lands more than we required and built huge malls, instead of making parks or leaving the places for forests to develop so that there will not be any endangered species, be it of birds or earth-dwellers; or it by any means affect our own natural habitat.
I have seen nests on beams, inside open junction boxes of electricity (which is very dangerous) and on traffic light beneath hood covering lamps, and many such places which are not appropriate for nests. We immediately think to remove them from their seeking look of the place But what we missed shamelessly is that its we who made them force to weave their nest in those unwanted places. We cut trees and took their home from them and now we want them removed from our porch and beam too.
We, as an adult, must learn to grow-up so that the real generation that actually need growing, learn to behave as a part of nature and not the master of her.
Illustrations were also very soothing and lively with amazing colors by Eugenia Nobati.
‘Wren's Nest’ by Heidi E.Y. Stemple with illustrations by Eugenia Nobati is a picture book about the wonders that nature can show us if we just slow down a bit.
Wren and her grandfather have a special bond. Wren is fascinated by the wrens that build their nests in a box outside her window and her grandfather teaches her all about them and builds them a home. When Wren's family moves to the city, she misses the wrens, but soon, she and her grandpa discover a new nest – a phoebe nest built in the rafters of their porch.
This is a very sweet story with great illustrations. After the story, there are tips on becoming a scientist and not disturbing birds' nests. Young animal lovers should enjoy this one.
Thank you to Familius and NetGalley for an e-ARC to read and review. This book has a very cool illustration style that really stood out to me: it reminded me of a Pixar short film. I loved the storyline that Wren and her grandfather connected over birds. My grandpa and I also looked out for *specific* types of birds (and EXACT friends that we named because they were frequent visitors!) and so I super enjoyed that the feeling wasn't quite right when there were suddenly just... pigeons. I really liked the family bonds, including how dynamics change when a new family member comes along. I also appreciated the extras for birdwatchers, like what to do if you come across a nest - which is helpful for kids and families.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.
This was just perfect. Sweet and precious .. Gorgeous illustrations and a short thoughtful story that even made me a little emotional at the end because it was so beautiful.
This is mostly about little Wren and her grandpa. They love birds and it’s through this love of birds the story of Wren growing up, having a beautiful relationship with her grandfather, moving and getting a new sister, is told.
I loved this so so much! I highly recommend picking this one up.
First I would like to say that the illustrations in this book are amazing and sure to keep a child interested in the story. The story is a joyful and happy story of Wren and her Grandfather and the special bond they have birdwatching. Wren soon finds a nest in her new house and watches it until all the birds leave the nest. The very next day she meets her new baby sister and she and Grandpa move the crib over by the window. I loved the bonding of Wren and her Grandpa and it reminded me so much of my Granddaughter and her PopPop. I liked that it was also a learning lesson for children. In the back of the book is very helpful tips on what you should and should not do if you find a nest. This would be a great book for storytime or a bedtime story.
A gentle story with matching soft illustration, smoothing the edges of transitions for the preschool crowd.
This story centers the relationship between the main character and her grandfather while ushering her through both a move and the birth of a new sibling. The bird watching aspect is ancillary; the nest of the title is Wren's concept of home.
The illustration style is impressive, from faces full of expression and a sky-inspired color palette, right down to chalked-flower wallpaper background detail. The text matches the level of excellence, from pace to language choice.
And the now-common end notes with suggestions for extension mirror the story itself, given space and time to be age-appropriate, thorough, and supported. Suitable for the broadest range of picture book readers, "Wren's Nest" is fine addition to any public, school, and home library.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
A lovely picture book about a girl named Wren and her grandfather. Her grandfather helps her learn about birds, and encourages her to watch birds in their country neighborhood, and suddenly she is uprooted and moves to the city to a new townhouse to await the birth of her new baby sister.
The story is sweet, intergenerational, and informative about bird watching. The artwork is not my favorite style, but it is unique and eye-catching. Wren learns to adapt to her new surroundings, which is both her move into a city away from her previous natural environment and the arrival of a sister. There is helpful information at the end about finding bird nests and how to become a citizen scientist. Very cute book and kids will love it.
Wren and her grandfather share a love of birds, and even a move to a new house can't change that. This is a quiet and lovely story. I enjoyed the multi-generational aspect to this tale, and the very sweet ending that ensures the love of bird-watching will continue. Eugenia Nobati's Pixar-like artwork seemed a strange choice for a book about nature, but it's charming and evocative all the same. AND, I loved the advice on becoming a birder at the end of the book.
This book has a simple story, information about becoming a citizen scientist, and beautiful illustrations.
I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.
Wren’s Nest by Heidi Stemple and Illustrated by Eugenia Nobati is a children’s story about the lessons passed from generation to generation and, despite how daunting it may seem at first, how to find a home you cherish. Wren, a girl who lives with her parents and grandfather, takes care of and learns from the birds that her grandfather delightfully shows her. When she and her family move to the city, she struggles to find birds to bird watch, aside from, of course, the pigeons. However, she’ll soon encounter a welcome hobby from her past that teaches her that home isn’t that far off.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved how the different generations care for each other, especially during this day and age when all families seem divided. I liked how gentle the grandfather is with Wren, and how that relationship is mirrored in nature around them. It’s almost like a community of humans and animals celebrating life. It’s a good way of introducing nature therapy into a session, and reiterates the importance of looking out for one another. We’re not isolated as we pretend to be, and it’s a statement I plan on taking with me in my personal and professional life.
Moreover, the illustrations remind me of something you’d see in a charming doll store; clockwork figurines everywhere that tells stories from lives long forgotten, and antiques that are layered dust. Despite them living in the city, there are still glimpses of nature here and there. When I was younger, there’d alway be bird nests built on the second floor. Granted, it wasn’t always the safest, and more often than not my Dad and I would find broken shells and broken bodies. So I enjoy the idea of Wren and Grandpa keeping watch over the nests, just as the birds welcome new life.
This was a beautifully illustrated and written children’s book. It follows a young child, Wren, and the life changes she is experiencing. She looks to her shared interest with her grandpa - bird watching - to learn how to navigate the changes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those children who are going through changes in their lives. Thank you to NetGalley and Familius for providing this book for me to review.
A pleasant enough young read, but one missing a final punch to prove its purpose. Wren is a young girl who is able to watch wrens from her bedroom window – her grandfather put a nest-box up for them when she was born. She can follow him and his advice elsewhere about birdwatching, too. But when the human family ends up moving, the wrens of course don't follow them – and Wren is left wren-less, bird-less, and less happy in her new home. Will birds ever bring their maternal instincts back into her world – and if they do, will they be alone?
This has the charm of a grandfather/granddaughter relationship to admire, the pleasure of watching baby birds grow and fledge, and a kind of lesson about the circle of life and how universal the mothering urge is in us all. But it's not really that impactful, I don't think, in getting enough of that across. As such it feels too close to being inconsequential – I don't call this a bad book, but not an essential purchase. Three and a half stars as a result.
I got this on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
This was such a sweet story! I love the focus on the Birds and Wren’s interest in them, the great relationship she has with her grandpa and how the bird storyline kinda reflects the family’s. The ending was so beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
I also really like when books like this include tips in the back! Perfect for a little scientist!
This one made me smile. Smile and want to go find someone, anyone, to hug. And, then look out the window to see what my local birds were up to. What a sweet story. I loved the duel focus on bird watching and family. The bond between Wren and her grandfather is strong and full of love. That he shares his love of birds with her and the idea that she'll ultimately pass along that same love made me hopeful for this sometimes crazy world we live in. It's also a reminder to slow down and enjoy the small joys of nature about us. Wren may not have found a wren's nest at their new home but she found something just as good, an unbreakable bond with her grandfather. She also learned that when she took the time to stop and look, there were still wondrous things to be found. Can you guess what she found? That's a question parents can ask their child as they share this lovely book. I'll also note that there is good info on what one should do if they do find a bird's nest as well as other hints to make your bird watching even better at the end. New arrivals are always possible! Just as Wren....or Phoebe.
Thanks #NetGalley and #Familius for sharing this darling book with me early. It would be a great gift for a family or, even better, to share with family members together. Add some binoculars and your pleasure is doubled. The illustrations were lovely!
The illustrations in this book are beautifully unique, and the story itself is sweet. My two daughters are incredibly close to their grandfather, and it was so nice to find that relationship at the core of a book. I haven't found many other books that focus on the grandfather-granddaughter dynamic.
This book did not hold my youngest daughter's interest (she's 5, almost 6), but my oldest (8, almost 9) enjoyed it. As I'm writing this, it's Reading Across America Week, and my oldest requested Wren's Nest to read aloud to complete one of her school reading challenges. I wouldn't say she's particularly interested in birds (although she does love being outside), but she enjoyed learning about nests.
I typically enjoy kid's books that are lighthearted and silly. This doesn't fall into either category, but it is informative and not particularly sappy. I can see us reading this again, though I doubt we'll reach for it often.
"Wren's Nest" is a beautiful picture book about a young girl named ‘Wren’, her grandfather and their love for birds. Her relationship with birds started as soon as she was born. Birdwatching soon became her and her grandfather’s favourite pastime. However, once they moved into the city, with no birds to watch Wren found the city life quite lonely.
Soon she saw something that excited her-a nest with five phoebe eggs in it. She along with her grandfather watched the eggs hatch, the birds feeding the baby birds and how the baby birds grow and fly away. Once the nest becomes empty Wren thought she would feel lonely again, but the very next day she got her own Phoebe-her baby sister.
The "Wren's Nest" is a simple story by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and the beautiful illustration done by Eugenia Nobati adds an extra charm to the story. The story makes one take up birdwatching and hence the details on what to do when we come across a nest at the end of the story will come in handy.
Thank you, NetGalley for providing me a review copy.
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Since she was born, Wren has always loved birds, especially the wrens, who always sang to her to sleep every night. With her grandpa, Wren goes sightseeing, but suddenly, her family moves into the city. But in the rafters of her new home, Wren sees a family of phoebes and knows her days with the birds are far from over.
Short and cute, this picture book delves into the lives of birds and one girl's love for all of them. With the tips and tricks in the back of the book that teach about nurturing and loving birds, Wren's Nest is for any science or bird fanatic.
"Wren's Nest" is a lovely picture book about a young girl, named Wren, and the changes happening in her life as she moves to a new house, and her relationship with her Grandpa and their common love for birds.
The prose is beautiful, and I absolutely loved the illustrations!
Wren's Nest is a sweetly illustrated book with a gentle story about birds. Wren's grandfather builds a bird house and puts it right outside her window. First thought, what a fabulous and loving grandfather! As Wren grows to the sound of bird coos and chirps, she observes eggs being laid and hatching, baby birds leaving the nest, and the cycle starting again.
This idyllic life is changed when her family moves to a house in the city with less yard and neighbors crowding on either side. But even here, Wren finds, the birds build a home. Eventually Wren gets a new baby sister, who she vows to teach about birds.
I think giving children a love and appreciation for our natural world is so important, and a good step towards instilling kindness, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility as a citizen of the planet. This gentle story does that in a quiet way, and it's one I would love to share with my grandchildren.
There is some handy information at the end of the book that tells what to do if you find a bird nest, and other helpful information about watching birds.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
This book really touched my heart. As someone who grew up on a farm, I believe it is highly important to teach young children about nature. And this book did that in a very gentle and kind way. If I had a child, I would be sure to read them this book. I loved it.
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