Robins!

January 2, 2017
Addressing readers, two robin “teenagers” explain how they came to live in “your yard.” Making good use of sequential panels to show the changing seasons, chicks’ development, and passage of time, Christelow’s (the Five Little Monkeys series) airy, sketchlike digital illustrations portray pivotal moments in the robins’ lives, from leaving the nest to learning to fly and finding food. Cartoony versions of the robins in the margins offer quips and informative comments, but Christelow never sugarcoats the difficulties of being a small bird in a world of predators. A squirrel devours one of their siblings’ eggs before it hatches, and a brother is later swept up by a hawk: “Mom and Dad chase the hawk, scolding and screaming, but he flies away, our brother dangling from his talons.” A glossary and other details about robins conclude this insightful study of an unflashy but fascinating bird. Ages 6–9.

January 15, 2017
Two young robins ("robin teenagers!") chattily describe their first spring and fall.Inspired by the appearance of a nest built atop a hoe in her garden shed, Christelow creates a pair of feathered narrators who present their life story--or the first part, at least. That begins in early spring with the arrival of Dad, who stakes out a territory in preparation for the later appearance of Mom. Subsequent nesting, hatching, and fledging occur in due order--with the consumption of "fourteen feet of worms" in the first two weeks alone ("Regurgitated worms! Yum!"). They also lose two sibs to a squirrel and a hawk, practice flying, watch parents and other members of the flock to learn about personal care as well as hazards and food sources, and finally molt and migrate south. In keeping with the informal tone, the author places loosely drawn animal figures in a mix of large single or smaller sequential panels, or sometimes just out on the open page with text enclosed in dialogue balloons. Aside from one poorly placed comment that may leave readers with the impression that Dad fertilized the eggs after they were laid, the natural history is accurate. A closing Q-and-A fills in more detail, including the salient fact that not all robins are migratory. Anthropomorphic but basically sound and as infectious as the ubiquitous bird's own "Cheerily-cheerily, cheerily-cheerup, cheerup!" (author's note, glossary, sources) (Informational picture book. 5-10)

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Starred review from March 1, 2017
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* Narrated by two teenage robin brothers just a few months old, this informative bird book offers an intimate view of their family's story. First, Dad chooses and defends his territory. After Mom's arrival, she builds a nest and lays four eggs. A squirrel devours one, but the others hatch. Mom and Dad feed their hatchlings about 350 insects and 14 feet of wormseach! Two weeks old, the three fledglings leave their nest and learn to feed, bathe, and preen themselves. A hawk seizes one to feed his babies. Finally, at five months, the surviving two brothers fly southward with their flock. Forthright, informal, and sometimes amusing, the text unfolds in short first-person paragraphs and speech balloons. Even the appended Q&A section is engaging. Rectangles often divide the broad, white pages into comic-book-style panels. These structure the visual narrative without restraining the forces of nature within the lines: birds fly into and out of the rectangles, and a cat's tail or a leafy branch might extend beyond their borders. Christelow uses a variety of digital illustration tools with skill and subtlety, creating a series of pictures that offer distinctive, bird's-eye views of their world. Fresh and inviting, here's the go-to book for children curious about robins.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

Starred review from July 1, 2017
In a North American backyard, a pair of adult robins arrives in spring to mate, build a nest, raise their first brood, and then migrate south again in the fall. Two cartoonlike young robins from that brood introduce themselves at the start of the book and continue to provide interactive commentary--and humor--as they reminisce about the events of their (very recent) youth that are documented in the main text. The details covered are extensive: we see the contributions that both parents make throughout the young birds' early days, and the developmental milestones (leaving the nest, finding their own food, socializing with other robins) they reach on the way to independence. Christelow's accurate illustrations are action filled and make excellent use of panels to depict multiple perspectives on bird poses and behavior, as well as moment-by-moment events such as the arrival of a predator (the story does not shy away from the grim survival statistics for robins, whose lives are threatened by cats, owls, hawks, and squirrels). The backyard life portrayed in the illustrations is not as bucolic as it seems: sharp-eyed readers will notice right away that Mom lays four eggs in the nest but that only three hatch, and just two robin siblings narrate the story. Additional facts about robins, as well as details on the particular robins that inspired this book, are appended. danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2017
Two cartoonlike young robins provide commentary--and humor--as they reminisce about the events of their first year that are documented in the main text. The details covered are extensive: we see the contributions that both parents make throughout the young birds' early days, as well as their developmental milestones. Christelow's accurate illustrations are action filled and make excellent use of panels. Glos.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)