The Best Nest

Mr. Bird loves his nest, but Mrs. Bird is discontent, so off they go to find a new one. It's a nice enough story about taking your blessings for granted, though perhaps a bit sexist in Mrs. Bird's erratic portrayal being chalked up to hormones in the end.

Rated "Good" in our old book database by Rod and Adelia, Oct. 5, 2002.

I like this book for 2 reasons. First, I enjoy the illustrations that are provided. I think that it matched well with the book with the animated characters and the pastel colors. Second, I like this book because of the theme that the author is trying to present, which is contentment. The beginning of the story starts off with two birds in search for a new home because they were dissatisfied. However the book ends with the birds returning back to their original home and being happy and content with what they have. This book is about being happy with what you have.

I gave this story a three out of five stars because it would be a great read for a beginner reader, but it didn't necessarily catch my interest. I can see this book being more of a, "practice" book for readers to refine their reading skills and comprehension.This book is appropriate from kindergarten to first grade. It has a cute story with big and bright illustrations of a bird who wants to find a new nest for his family, but in the end he realized that the best nest was the one he left. In the end the bird proclaimed, "I love my house. I love my nest. In all the world my nest is the best!" This leads to the central message of the story of not taking what you have for granted, and that new isn't always better.

This is a wonderful little story (see I am not always harsh when it comes to Children's books) about two birds who decide that they no longer like their old house (or at least the woman doesn't, the man is perfectly happy to sit on top of his house and sing his song all day about how his nest is the best nest) and go on a quest to find a new house. However every house they find is either occupied (by a foot, or some letters) or has hidden traps (such as the steeple tower). What is interesting is that this book, unlike others, has a story to it, and flows like the typical story.
Basically they start off with a goal, and when they think they have achieved that goal something bad happens and Mr Bird is wondering around the town, and at the show more darkest point in the story the clouds gather and it starts to rain. However, quite by luck, though not to the extent that you would call it a deus ex machina, the problems are solved and everybody ends up living happily ever after.
I guess the theme of this story is that there is no place like home. At the beginning one of them becomes sick of her home and wants something better, however it turns out, at the end, that the best place was actually the place that you originally started from. However the thing that comes down to this realisation is that sometimes you have to lose something because you realise the value of that something in the end. Here it is that the best home was in their original home.
That is not always the case though because I moved 700 km from where I grew up to a new city, and now, on my second visit back to Adelaide this year I have come to realise that I actually miss my new home. Granted I like being around my parents, but I guess I have reached that age (at least with our Anglo-saxon mindset) where I prefer the independence of my new home, and also the friendships that I am beginning to build. However, I suspect that there may have been other reasons above and beyond Mrs Bird's reason for wanting a new home that caused me to move interstate. show less

One totally funny thing about all the kids' books I just read Luisa to get her to sleep is how many of them (a full 3/5, I think?) have an annoying or feckless female character whose dissatisfaction and resultant carping are dealt with in one way or another by the male opposite number. But the female character in this turns out to be nice after all, and they meet life's challenges together and realize their old home was the best after all and have a bb and end up happy. My sister loved this book when she was younger. and now I can see why!

It's true, I am a HUGE P.D. Eastman fan, but I don't think I'm being overly biased when I say this is a GOOD book. I just don't get tired of reading it and I love the distinctive illustrations. Mr. and Mrs. Bird, well really just Mrs. Bird, get tired of the their old nest and set out in search of a new one. A series of mishaps ensues and they eventually end up back in their old - and now beloved - nest.

The book The Best Nest was a favorite of mine when I was a young child. This was a book that I knew almost all the words to when I was younger. This book not only has a great message but has a fun song that young children can sing along too while reading. The book has the message to never give up when you want something so bad. The two birds in the book are looking for the perfect nest. They go from nest to nest looking for the right home until they get to the perfect one. This book also has a very touching theme of there’s no place like home. The birds eventually come to the conclusion that their original nest is the best and they want to stay there. This book is a great book for young children because they can sing along with the show more birds throughout the story. The birds sing “I love my house. I love my nest. In all the world, my nest is best!”. Overall this book is a great book to start with a young reader. show less