Denise Fleming

I like the illustrations, especially the little details. My favorite detail is the three ladybugs hidden on each page. It was fun to try to find them. That added to the book's engagement. I also liked the variety of animals that helped build the nest and the surprise foldout page summarizing all the steps at the end. Unfortunately, the book was somewhat dull. I can't imagine reading it over and over.

Recommended age: 6-8 years

Writing style: Based on the British nursery rhyme "The House That Jack Built," This Is the Nest That Robin Built is a cumulative tale. On each page, another animal adds a material to build the robin nest. The text repeats all of the previous pages until, finally, the nest is built. Fleming chooses unique, descriptive verbs, like plasters, anchors, and cushions. Further, each material has characteristics that increase vocabulary, like "long and strong" or "rough and tough."

Lexile score: 700L
Sentence length: 5/5
Word frequency: 2/5

Illustration style: Rich-colored collages fill the page. The textured collage technique reminds me a lot of Eric Carle, so fans of his artwork will also appreciate this one.

Reality-based: Partially. The book is about building a robin's nest, which is based on reality. But this is not how a Robin nest is built. Each animal relates to the object included, like pigs and mud, but they don't work as a team. Maybe invisibly? It's a little too far off for me.… (more)