The Best Nest.

The Best Nest

Doris L. Mueller & Sherry Neidigh

Sylvan Dell Publishing

976 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite 3, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

www.sylvandellpublishing.com 1-877-958-2600

9781934359259, $8.95 (PB); 978193435909, $15.95 (HC)

Both as pets and in the wild, children are attracted to birds. Engagingly written by Doris L. Mueller and beautifully enhanced with the full color art work of Sherry Neidigh, "The Best Nest" is the retelling of an old English folktale about how long ago magpies built nests that were the envy of all the other birds. To help those other birds, Maggie Magpie patiently explained how to build a nest. But some birds were impatient and flew off without listening to all the directions. that is why today birds' nests come in all different shapes and sizes! Of special note is the addition to this highly recommended picturebook for children a very special educational section, 'For Creative Minds', that provides children with fun facts about birds, 'bird math', bird injuries, and a 'Match the Nest' activity with nest information for Magpies, Killdeer, Robins, Screech-Owls, Starlings, Brewer's Blackbird; the Common Grackle, Meadowlarks, Whip-poor-wills, Mourning Doves, and the Northern Oriole. Also from Sylvan Dell Publishing and very highly recommended for family, school and community library collections for children ages 2 to 6 is "Animals Are Sleeping" (9781934359266, $8.95 PB; 9781934359099, $15.95 HC) by author Suzanne Slade and illustrator Gary Phillips.