Nests

Nests 
by Pepe Marquez; illus. by Natalia Colombo
40 pages; ages 4-9
Starberry Books / Kane Press, 2019

In nature, there are many creatures.

Some live on land, some in the water, and some are birds. Those birds come in a great variety of sizes and shapes - and so do their nests.

This book combines spare, honest statements about birds and their nests with imaginative and bold artwork to put a fun spin on the concept of "home".

What I like about this book:
The illustrations! Natalia Colombo is an illustrator and graphic designer who lives in Buenos Aires. Her usual media include colored and black pencils, acrylics, pen, ink, and markers on different types of paper and in digital format. For this book, she says, "the illustrations are made with acrylics, and with a reduced color palette: orange, red, turquoise, blue and white. The characters are very simple, with large brush strokes and undefined contours and in contrast to the backgrounds. Then I worked on the computer to give more contrast."

It's those undefined contours that I love. They give the feel of featheriness to her birds. The hint of grassy tufts to her nests.

I love the wry juxtaposition of vibrant graphics with statements of fact. And the way Colombo interprets statements such as, "Some birds build their nests in very high spots." Her take: a nest built on the head of a giraffe! What fun!

Beyond the book:

1. Where do birds in your neighborhood build their nests? Try to find their nests and draw a picture of what their nest looks like. Here are some interesting nests.

2. Become a Nest-Watcher! Here's how.

3. Make your own nest out of tissue paper and glue. Here's how. Perfect for Easter eggs (or chocolate!)

We're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It's a weekly event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.