Mama Built a Little Nest

By Jennifer Ward, Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)

Discover the diverse nests birds create to protect their young.

4.5/7 Bookroo expert·4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,147 ratings

40 pages· 805 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Explore the world of bird nests through playful rhymes and vivid illustrations. From falcons' high ledge scrapes to burrowing owls' underground homes, each nest tells a unique story. What secrets do these cozy sanctuaries hold?

From the publisher

Illustrations and simple, rhyming text introduce different kinds of birds’ nests, from the scrapes that falcons build atop high, craggy ledges to the underground nests that burrowing owls dig. Includes brief facts about each kind of bird.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Words: 805
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD860L

Themes & topics

Books about birds Books about moms Books about animals Books about science Books about nests

Good to know

Stories behind the story

Where did you originally get the idea for this book?

I was living in Tucson, AZ and happened to catch a hummingbird mama begin the process of building her tiny cup nest outside my kitchen window. I watch the nest's construction over the course of 2 weeks and it got me thinking about how varied all bird nests are, species by species. I began my research about bird nests and this books was born!

What would you say is the primary message of this book?

The book's primary message is that birds are AMAZING architects, able to create a "home" for their fragile egg(s) that must withstand weather, gravity, predation and other elements - and they do this all without having hands, fingers and opposable thumbs.

What was the hardest part about creating this book?

Limiting the types of nests I could write about - there are SO many more types of nests that birds create. Alas, a picture books is 32 pages and space was limited.

What readers & critics say