A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home

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A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 774 ratings · 243 reviews

Celeste is not your average mouse. She lives alone, quietly weaving baskets with creative flair under the floor boards of the Oakley Plantation. However, Celeste’s world turns upside down with the arrival of the great naturalist John James Audubon and his assistant Joseph, who have come to study and paint the birds of the Louisiana bayou. Their arrival coincides with Celes...more

Hardcover, 342 pages

Published February 23rd 2010 by Katherine Tegen Books (first published 2010)

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Apr 29, 2013 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-to-quinn, alyssa-has-read

I thought is was sad in the end. I think it was cute how Celeste made lots of new friends. I thought it was sad what happened to her family. I liked the part when she found Joseph. I don't think it was nice what Mr. Audubon did with the birds at all.

-- review by Quinn, 6.75 years old

My review:
The real world is hard and maybe that is why I prefer fantasy. I had a hard time with this book...it made me think of Charlotte's Web. Let me start by saying that our heroine lives in the end. But through...more I thought is was sad in the end. I think it was cute how Celeste made lots of new friends. I thought it was sad what happened to her family. I liked the part when she found Joseph. I don't think it was nice what Mr. Audubon did with the birds at all.

-- review by Quinn, 6.75 years old

My review:
The real world is hard and maybe that is why I prefer fantasy. I had a hard time with this book...it made me think of Charlotte's Web. Let me start by saying that our heroine lives in the end. But through the book we encounter many highs and lows of this sweet mouse. She is bullied by rats, nearly drowned in a thunderstorm, almost killed by a cat, but her bully meets that fate instead, and witnesses birds being shot or one who dies in captivity at the hands of Mr. Audubon who likes to pose his subjects utilizing rigor mortis or pins.

It sounds awful, right? At the same time, there are wonderful creatures that Celeste meets on her adventures and many ways that we see friendship and love at work. She uses lots of ingenuity in challenging situations and I loved her basket making skills. We also see how this little mouse could be a part of changing how Mr. Audubon created his art without harming the birds.

I wasn't so happy with the ending as it felt a bit punted where this bird just shows up right at the end and makes a tidy bow. However, it does drive home the point that friends come and go, but the memories of their adventures will always warm your heart. And there are new friends to be made.

Quinn is in a place of finding her resilience. She is not always very transparent about her feelings, so it can be hard to tell. Nevertheless, while reading this book, she would mention that a part was sad and she would want to chat about it(isn't it sad that this happened or that he does is that way, etc.). She would then be ready move on and hear more and continue the book. And clearly she rated it 4 stars so she liked it.

Somehow I think it was harder for me. Can't Celeste be safe and cozy for just a little while?!? Maybe I need to work on my resilience? :-) If you do read this to your little one, be prepared for the way Mr. Audubon does his bird paintings because that is factual and was alarming to me. I did not know that part of his autobiography.

If you are looking for a natural adventure that isn't tugging so hard on your heart strings, I would say read The Night Fairy instead. If you are looking for something that is a mix of the dangers of being a small animal, sweet friendships and small joys, how art is subjective in many ways...give this a try. Probably two stars from me. (less)

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May 17, 2010 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, childrens-chapter-books, favorites

This is my first Henry Cole book and was it ever a delight. It's based on the four month visit of John James Audubon and his 13 year old assistant Joseph's visit at Oakley Plantation near New Orleans. The story revolves around the sweetest little mouse, Celeste (I just love her name) and her getting to know Joseph as well as her encounters with the home's cat. She meets some enchanting birds with great personalities and learns the meaning of friendship. Henry Cole's website is such fun, henrycol...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Amalia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

As Celeste weaves her grass baskets, so Cole masterfully weaves his tale. Layer upon layer is unearthed as we explore Celeste's world with her, as we join her in her search for safety and security - no easy feat for a mouse, or anyone else!

As we adventure with Celeste, we meet John James Audubon and his assistant Joseph. Audubon is known for his detailed sketches and paintings of birds in their natural habitats. Cole adds to our understanding of this artist and naturalist through the eyes of Ce...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Charlyn Trussell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, animals, ecology, fantasy, fiction, friendship, historical, social_studies, birds

In 1939, Robert Lawson set a small mouse in Benjamin Franklin's hat to narrate a historical tale. Henry Cole now sets a small mouse named Celeste in the hat of young Joseph Mason, the apprentice of John James Audubon's assistant, while the two stay on a Louisiana plantation to paint the birds and foliage. The story, however, isn't Audubon's story or even the story of Joseph, still a young teenager away from home for the first time. This is the story of Celeste, a talented young basket-weaving mo...more

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Aug 21, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical, j, life, not-graphic

This is the gentle story of one summer in the life of a mouse named Celeste and her attempts to find a home and happiness in the face of life's afflictions. When we begin she has a comfy hidey-hole in the base of a house on a plantation near New Orleans in 1821, but she is bullied by two rats and quickly trapped out of her home by the house's cat. Adventuring higher into the house she makes a new nest in a boot, which leads to her adoption by the boot's owner, a teen-aged aspiring artist who is...more This is the gentle story of one summer in the life of a mouse named Celeste and her attempts to find a home and happiness in the face of life's afflictions. When we begin she has a comfy hidey-hole in the base of a house on a plantation near New Orleans in 1821, but she is bullied by two rats and quickly trapped out of her home by the house's cat. Adventuring higher into the house she makes a new nest in a boot, which leads to her adoption by the boot's owner, a teen-aged aspiring artist who is apprenticed to John James Audubon while they stay on the estate for the summer. But peril, many adventures, and a variety of creatures make Celeste's life continually interesting and unsettled.

Cole fills the book with evocative pencil drawings (think Hugo Cabret) and descriptive language, creating a poetic sense of fairy tale atmosphere in the manner of Kate Dicamillo or Kathi Appelt's The Underneath. The story is told gently, but never shies away from death or the realities of life's hardships and plumbs for true depth. For all its charms, though, it only mildly captures the magic it aspires to create by tapping into undercurrents of emotion we so often keep bottled inside. But it respects life's complexities and is a story worth experiencing, especially for younger readers.

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At that moment there were two feelings inside Celeste's tiny, rapidly beating heart that made her feel as full, and as empty, as a gourd. The sheer beauty of this moment was perfect and sublime. But she was alone.

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Celeste watched them go and then set about having a blissfully peaceful morning, relishing the time she had in her home without Trixie's braying voice invading her thoughts. She tiptoed through the house, savoring every single second of solitude, touching the furniture, sliding her paw along the flowers of the wallpaper, listening to nothing but the birds and insects in the garden outside.

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She pondered: Was it worth the feelings of sadness and melancholy to make a friend and then lose him? Would she rather not have the heartache of losing a friend and not have the memory of friendship?

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She smiled.

She thought about the summer, of surviving a terrible thunderstorm and of flying in a basket.

She thought of Mr. Audubon, and of secretly helping create a work of art.

She thought of Joseph, of how love can start with something as simple as the gift of a peanut.

She thought of Cornelius and Lafayette; and as she offered a berry to Violet, she though how good it was to have friends.(less)

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Jul 05, 2010 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Is there a way to give a book negative stars? I was warned this was "not a good book," but like a trainwreck I just couldn't look away. I couldn't believe that such a cute little book with pretty drawings could be this bad. And on the surface it is not overwhelmingly bad. But the themes that emerge are unbearable. Let's start with the basic premise: Celeste wants a place that feels like home. And in the end she finds one. Not the place with friends, not a convenient place near a food source. No...more

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Jun 30, 2010 Destinee Sutton rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, graphic, animals

In the style of Hugo Cabret, this book features large pencil drawings that complement the text. The drawings are really wonderful in their detail and, I think, the most enjoyable part of the book. I also liked the little mouse Celeste herself. Though she never really came alive on the page, what we saw of her was lovable, and her journey to find a home and a friend is compelling.

Ok, now I'm done being nice. I have to say, right off the bat I was not a fan of the second half of the title. It's a...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, animals, audubon

I have wondered for a long time about the relationship between mice and children's books. Few people like the little critters in real life, unless as fodder for science experiments, yet mice are the heroes of more children's books than you can shake a piece of cheese at. I wouldn't be surprised if someone has written a graduate thesis on this topic.

In A Nest for Celeste, Celeste joins a pantheon of unforgettable mice heroes and heroines in both children's novels and picture books. Anyone who lo...more I have wondered for a long time about the relationship between mice and children's books. Few people like the little critters in real life, unless as fodder for science experiments, yet mice are the heroes of more children's books than you can shake a piece of cheese at. I wouldn't be surprised if someone has written a graduate thesis on this topic.

In A Nest for Celeste, Celeste joins a pantheon of unforgettable mice heroes and heroines in both children's novels and picture books. Anyone who loves children's books knows Henry Cole as an immensely talented and versatile illustrator. As he says on his website, "From wombats and weasels to feathers and felines, Henry Cole has been busy as a beaver illustrating books for all ages." In fact, he has illustrated 70 books in his career, including another heroic mouse tale, Livingstone Mouse, penned by Pamela Duncan Edwards. Several of his picture books were written as well as illustrated by Cole, but A Nest for Celeste is his first foray into writing and illustrating a chapter book.

This is no ordinary chapter book, however. The delicately shaded black-and-white pencil illustrations are integral to the story, in much the same way as the illustrations in Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret advance the plot of that novel. Cole uses many different visual perspectives, often letting us into the scene from the perspective of the tiny mouse. In other words, don't get this one on audiobook! Our small heroine, Celeste, lives on a plantation near New Orleans. She is, not surprisingly, no ordinary mouse. Among other talents are her ability to weave baskets out of the native grasses of Louisiana, which she uses to gather food left underneath the dining room table of the family that lives in the plantation house. It's 1821, and the house has some special visitors: James Audubon and his young apprentice, Joseph, who are drawing and painting the local birds and wildlife. Celeste is lonely until she makes the acquaintance of the friendly Joseph, who likes to carry around Celeste in his shirt pocket, affectionately dubs her "Little One" and feeds her peanuts.

Celeste's bravery is tested many times in this book, not only by the housecat, always ready to attack, or the rats who bully her into giving them her food, or a terrible thunderstorm. Nowhere is really safe for the little creature, and she is forced to relocate her nest several times in the course of the story, finally making her home in a dollhouse filled with mouse-sized furniture that she finds in the attic.

But before she knows it, it's time for her new friend Joseph to leave. Celeste is a very philosophical mouse. Cole writes:

"She pondered: Was it worth the feelings of sadness and melancholy to make a friend and then lose him? Would she rather not have the heartache of losing a friend and not have the memory of friendship? No, she decided, no."

But as we learn from the title, this is not just a story about friendship and the meaning of home; Cole also teaches us about art and inspiration by his exploration of how Audubon created his famous artwork. Modern readers will undoubtedly be shocked by his techniques: nearly all the birds he painted were shot and killed first, then posed using wire to recreate a lifelike pose. While some children may be disturbed by this, I appreciate that Cole chose to portray Audubon's work in an historically accurate way. The author also provides a useful afterword with additional facts about Audubon, his assistant, and the time they spent on the Oakley Plantation in 1821. He also includes a copy of Audubon's painting of an osprey or sea hawk, a bird who figures in the story as a friend of Celeste (a rather unusual friend for a mouse, perhaps!)
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May 14, 2010 Carmine rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 2-4th graders

Recommended to Carmine by: browsing the new shelf

Shelves: animal-stories, juvenile-fiction

A heavily illustrated chapter book (think Hugo Cabret) with a basketweaving mouse protagonist who seems to exists to teach us about James Audubon. Based on an actual period of time James Audubon and his assistant Joseph Mason stayed on a plantation near New Orleans in 1821. Celeste the mouse has some rather human, modern sensibilities like it is wrong to shoot birds just to paint them or to massacre scores of carrier pigeons as they pass over.

The illustrations are beautiful. I loved the little b...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

It took me a while to figure out what bothered me about "Celeste," and I think it has to do with anthropomorphism. On one end of the anthropomorphism scale is the toad-in-a-waistcoat. In toad-in-a-waistcoat the animal is simply a stand-in for a human character; references to real animal behavior, such as lily pad homes or cricket lunches, are thrown in for cuteness's sake. The other end of the anthropomorphic scale is the equivalent of someone at the zoo pounding on a snake's display case. It's...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: happiness-for-the-middle-reader

This book is written and illustrated in the fashion of Brian Selznick's Caldecott winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret . And like Selznick story, A Nest For Celeste is based around actual events.

This book is told from Celeste's, a field mouse, perspective as she is forced to find a new nest when the family cat begins to stalk her old one. Meanwhile the Pirrie family has welcomed new vistors, Audubon (yes, the famous bird painter) and his young assistant Joseph.

The parts of this book that ar...more This book is written and illustrated in the fashion of Brian Selznick's Caldecott winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret . And like Selznick story, A Nest For Celeste is based around actual events.

This book is told from Celeste's, a field mouse, perspective as she is forced to find a new nest when the family cat begins to stalk her old one. Meanwhile the Pirrie family has welcomed new vistors, Audubon (yes, the famous bird painter) and his young assistant Joseph.

The parts of this book that are based on actual events where the ones that made me question this book's suitability for children. Audubon killed and poised the majority of the birds he painted. (including the now extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker.) Joseph confronts Audubon about killing the woodpecker to which Audubon remarks "one bird less won't make any difference." This is a great scene as Joseph considers Audubon's comments "He thought about the ivory-billed; there were certainly other woodpeckers all along the river valley. But what if there was only one more? How would it spend the rest of its days? On an endless and futile search up and down the valley, looking for another ivory-billed woodpecker?"

Another part that made me flinch was that Joseph is accidentally shot in the head. It's mostly a flesh wound, but it was quite a disturbing scene, especially when told from the point of view of Celeste who only sees blood...everywhere.

The part that humored and disappointed me the most was the chapter that was replaced in the final edit. In the book there are two rats that are very mean to poor Celeste. One is eaten by a cat pretty early on. The second rat, Trixie reappears toward the end of the book to give Celeste more grief. When Trixie hears the Celeste's new friend Layfette (an Osprey) gave Celeste a ride in a woven basket Trixie demands she gets a ride too. Layfette reluctantly agrees. In both books the chapter is titled "Trixie Takes Flight..." In the final edit the next chapter is "...Like a Rock Tossed Into a Muddy Pond" where Trixie is being a pain and yanks hard on the ropes of the basket, which breaks and Trixie is sent plummeting into the river. Afterward Layfette searches the river but, alas Trixie is no more.

In the version I read... "Layfette has Enough" is the title of the chapter. And like the chapter says Layfette is sick of Trixie's bossy behavior and her picking on sweet Celeste so Layfette strands her in the bayou next to a bunch of hunger gators. Personally I liked the satisfaction of this ending, but I can see why it was changed. (less)

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Mar 29, 2011 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was looking for something light to read and I had gotten an ARC of this last year. For the most part, I thought this book was mediocre. It wasn't as good as The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread(I have to compare to another mouse story.

The thing I liked most about this book was the art. It was all interesting pencil sketches and it wasn't just a spotty drawing here or there. This book read almost like a picture book.

I did not like, how...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Tessa Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Celeste is a small mouse who lives under the floor boards of a Southern plantation. While making her way to the main floor to get food, a houseguest, Joseph, picks up Celeste before the house cat captures her. Joseph, who is an assistant to John James Audubon, is learning to paint plants for Aududon’s backgrounds. Unfortunately, Joseph is having a hard time trying to please Audubon’s perfective nature and submitting to Audubon’s treatment of his animal subjects. But Joseph gains confidence with...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Sarah BT rated it 3 of 5 stars

About the Book: Celeste is a mouse who lives in a small room inside a house who spends her time making baskets. She is often bullied by two large rats who take her food and one day Celeste is sent further into the house than she's gone before. She befriends a young boy named Joseph, who is staying at the house with Mr. Audubon where they are drawing pictures of birds. Celeste meets many new friends along the way and discovers the meaning of home.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: A Nest for Celeste is som...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-fiction

An industrious mouse finds a friend when she is discovered by Joseph, John James Audubon's assistant, visiting the Louisiana plantation where she lives. She keeps him company, watches him work, joins his field expeditions, and ventures out on her own, finding other friends and a more permanent home.
This is a charmer, ably told and irresistibly illustrated with pencil drawings, many filling the pages and serving as background to the text as well as accompaniment. It will remind experienced reade...more

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Jun 03, 2010 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-fiction, newbery-11

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 07, 2012 Maira rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit

This book was a winner of the Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book award. It's a story about a mouse named Celeste who in her home under floor boards of a Louisiana plantation spends her time weaving baskets. In the story Celeste is struggling to find a home after having came across many difficult situations. She deals with mice bullying her, the cat which ultimately leaves her without a home. After having gone through this, Celeste finally meets new friends which include Joseph other animals that hel...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Sandybear76 added it

Very lovely pen and ink drawings on just about every page. The tale is about a little mouse living in a big plantation home and John James Audubon has just arrived to paint pictures of the local birds. Audubon earned money by teaching the daughter of the landowner how to dance and to paint. Audobon's young assistant rescues a little mouse, who gets into many adventures. The little mouse Celeste is alone in the big home and must survive the big cat and the two unfriendly, very bossy rats. Celeste...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Josiah rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is my first experience with the work of author/illustrator Henry Cole. A Nest for Celeste was actually on my list of 2010 books that I might have or might not have gotten around to eventually, depending on how things went, but I'm very happy that I chose to read it. Whether judging by the story itself or the awesome pencil art that liberally decorates the novel inside and out, this book is a wonderful experience for readers of any age. It's a simple story that perfectly reflects the old-fa...more This is my first experience with the work of author/illustrator Henry Cole. A Nest for Celeste was actually on my list of 2010 books that I might have or might not have gotten around to eventually, depending on how things went, but I'm very happy that I chose to read it. Whether judging by the story itself or the awesome pencil art that liberally decorates the novel inside and out, this book is a wonderful experience for readers of any age. It's a simple story that perfectly reflects the old-fashioned spirit of the time in which it is set, but offers so much more than just simplicity and an interesting narrative to grab one's fancy for a few hours. it's one of those rare books that I believe has the potential to become a true classic, and could one day consistently be a standard reason behind real children learning to love literature.

While a small piece of the autobiography of American painter John James Audubon factors into this story, that's really more an interesting bit of peripheral action for those interested in the book's contemporary historical figures and setting. The important character for us to know about in regard to the plot is Celeste, a mouse who lives alone in a large house in the country. The third decade of the 1800s has just begun, but Celeste is less concerned with the state of the union than she is with scrounging around to come up with her daily ration of food. This task is made no easier by two pushy rats who make their living by forcing Celeste to take all the risks and cater to their demands for food. She has to outwit the house cat to get enough food for three, and there's sure to be a day when her luck in staying one step ahead of the predator runs out, but Celeste doesn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter. The rats are bigger than she is and quite mean, and won't be satisfied with much less than a daily smorgasbord.

Celeste's luck changes when the distinguished Mr. Audubon comes to stay at the house, bringing with him his teenage apprentice, Joseph Mason. Joseph discovers Celeste curled up in one of his boots, where she has built her new nest, but his reaction to the presence of a mouse hidden in his shoe is one only of gentleness. Celeste can't speak to him and he can't talk to her, but as the frightened little mouse begins to realize that the large creature who has caught her intends to bring her no harm, a wordless friendship gradually grows up between the two.

Well, I'm not going to spoil any of what comes next by entering into an in-depth description of it. Henry Cole does a much better job than I possibly could of relating this wonderful, adventure-filled story, in the tradition of old favorites like William Steig's Dominic and Robert Lawson's Rabbit Hill. A Nest for Celeste is exactly the kind of story that my third-grade teacher used to read to our class, a basically innocent yet unpredictable and emotional book that could easily instill the love of reading in thirty kids at the same time, all sitting enraptured on the carpet to listen to what's going to happen next. Henry Cole's writing in A Nest for Celeste soars with lovely images and warm, sincere sentiment, and the story's occasional moments of quiet reflection are deeply felt and make the narrative all the more endearing. I love this book, just as much as I would have at hearing it told when I was in third grade, listening to my teacher through her telling of the story bring it to vivid life the way that we as individual students were just starting to learn how to do. A book like that... well, it's absolutely timeless, which is why I say that A Nest for Celeste has a shot at becoming a genuine classic.

I would definitely be remiss if I didn't make room for a special mention of the illustrations in this book. Henry Cole enlivens the plain text by his pencil drawings at a level of charming sophistication that could only be compared to the brilliant work of Brian Selznick. Henry Cole touches most of this book's pages with his original and evocative artwork to some extent, so that at times it feels almost as if one is reading a picture book. As a result, three hundred forty-two pages goes by in a snap, and the entire reading experience is made all the more delightful by the continual presence of the beautiful drawings. More than anything else, I would say it is the illustrations that make A Nest for Celeste totally unforgettable.

I could sing the praises of almost any element of this book. The characters are surprising, engaging, fun and always humorous. The plot is homey and accessible to anybody, yet doesn't lack for depth of purpose or meaning. The adventures that befall Celeste are exciting and at times perhaps even slightly suspenseful,and always connect smoothly back to the main body of the narrative and the novel's bigger themes. Any way one looks at the finished product, it adds up to an impressive book which acts best as its own commendation, far better than anything that I could say about it. I really loved reading A Nest for Celeste, and I wouldn't hesitate a moment to read anything else that Henry Cole has written. A book this nice doesn't come along without a great effort on behalf of the author, and I hope that others will enjoy the the superb result of Henry Cole's effort in the creation of A Nest for Celeste as much as did I. (less)

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Aug 28, 2010 Ellie Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-fiction

342 pages.

2010 978-0-06-170410-5 (trade bdg). 978-0-06-170411-6 (lib. bdg) $17.89

***** 5 stars

I recently noticed a nibbled cookie in the far corner of the rangetop in my kitchen. A field mouse must have entered the kitchen through the hole behind the stove, found the delicacy, and tried to carry it home. I generally prefer fictional mice, like Mickey and Minnie, to real mice, but I appreciate the pluck and ambition of my kitchen mouse. I have these same feelings of admiration for the mouse Celes...more 342 pages.

2010 978-0-06-170410-5 (trade bdg). 978-0-06-170411-6 (lib. bdg) $17.89

***** 5 stars

I recently noticed a nibbled cookie in the far corner of the rangetop in my kitchen. A field mouse must have entered the kitchen through the hole behind the stove, found the delicacy, and tried to carry it home. I generally prefer fictional mice, like Mickey and Minnie, to real mice, but I appreciate the pluck and ambition of my kitchen mouse. I have these same feelings of admiration for the mouse Celeste, the heroine of this story.

In 1821, the painter and naturalist John James Audubon and Joseph Mason, his teenager apprentice, spent time with a family at a Louisiana. Audubon drew the birds, while Joseph drew the flowers and the backgrounds. This fantasy expands on their visit. This is a story of art, inspiration, and home. We see art in Celeste's handwoven baskets and in Audubon's bird paintings. We see inspiration when Celeste finds ways to save her friends' lives. Celeste herself, with her beauty and gentleness, inspires Joseph to create a lovely drawing. The theme of home appears frequently. Celeste makes a number of nests for herself, but they are not homes. In helping others, she learns what a home really is.

The theme of environmental stewardship adds another dimension to the story. In one memorable scene, Joseph reacts to Audubon's handling of a woodpecker:

A landscape with no woodpeckers? His life had seen lonely moments, and probably would again; but he couldn't imagine the loneliness of being the last of his own kind on Earth. He thought about the ivory-billed; there were certainly other woodpeckers all along the river valley. But what if there was only one more? How would it spend the rest of its days? On an endless and futile search up an down the valley, looking to find another ivory-billed woodpecker? (p.146)

A Nest for Celeste has adventures, humor, and themes to ponder and discuss. Henry Cole's detailed pencil sketches, echoing Audubon's techniques, enhance the text. (Be aware, however, that several scenes contain violent elements.) Use the book as a readaloud or as an all-school read. Pair it with Jennifer Armstrong's biography Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier.

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Sep 29, 2010 Vicki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Visually this book is stunning - somewhat reminiscent of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" with it's many wonderful pencil sketches of this adorable mouse all throughout the book. Celeste's story of survival and her quest for a home is good too, but I found the introduction of John James Audubon and his quest to paint all the birds of America somewhat unsettling. I knew that he usually shot the birds he painted, but (unless this is fictionalized) didn't realize he sometimes pinned them live to a bo...more

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May 23, 2012 four_eyes rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a heartwarming tale of a little mouse named Celeste who longs for a place she can call home and friends to ease her loneliness. On her adventures, Celeste encounters many obstacles (bullying mice, getting swept away by the wind, escaping the house cat's clutches), but her endurance and resourcefulness saves her on many occasions and leads her to befriend a diverse group of friends; human and neighborhood creatures. In the end, Celeste matures from being a timid to a brave mouse who finds...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, fantasy, fiction, historical-fiction

The title and illustrations made me dubious. I feared I was in for another cute book about animals. Well it is a cute book about animals, but pleasantly I was surprised at how interesting and informative it was. Celeste is a mouse that lives in a LA plantation before the civil war. When John James Audubon arrives to study and paint the birds of the bayou, Celeste finds herself the pet of Audobon's teenage assistant. During the adventures Celeste learns what it means to have a home, how to say go...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 06, 2011 Patrice Sartor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, animals, friendship

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'd give this one closer to 3.5 stars since it made me cry at the end (out of how sweet it was, not out of tragedy).

I had just come out of months of reading the Skulduggery Pleasant series to the boys, and I found the transition to this title difficult. After all those weeks of nearly non-stop action, humor that both myself and the boys enjoyed and bonding with the characters, this title was so different.

It's cuteness I initially found corny and annoying, though by the end it had grown on me. Th...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Marianne D. Wallace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, nature

A snapshot of four months in and around a New Orleans' area home in 1821 while painter John James Audubon and his assistant, young teen Joseph Mason, worked and lived there - all seen through the eyes of a field mouse named Celeste. Descriptions of killing birds so Audubon can pin them in life-like poses and paint them may be disturbing to some readers. Content-wise, I had a problem with Joseph keeping Celeste as a "pet" in his shirt pocket and the mouse acting tame, accepting peanuts and other...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Bridget R. Wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, mg-fantasy

Nest for Celeste is a story about friendship. Celeste, a mouse, has two ill-favored friends in the rats Illianna and Trixie. They taunt and abuse Celeste. Luckily, a cat catches Illianna, and Trixie disappears. The incident with the cat leaves Celeste homeless. She ventures upstairs and befriends Joseph, young assistant to the painter John James Audubon.

Celeste doesn't like the way Audubon gets his pictures (killing and posing the birds with wire). She encourages first Cornelius (a wood thrush)...more Nest for Celeste is a story about friendship. Celeste, a mouse, has two ill-favored friends in the rats Illianna and Trixie. They taunt and abuse Celeste. Luckily, a cat catches Illianna, and Trixie disappears. The incident with the cat leaves Celeste homeless. She ventures upstairs and befriends Joseph, young assistant to the painter John James Audubon.

Celeste doesn't like the way Audubon gets his pictures (killing and posing the birds with wire). She encourages first Cornelius (a wood thrush) and then Lafayette (an osprey) to pose beautifully for Joseph and Audubon. Thus, she saves their lives.

The cat necessitates yet another move for Celeste. This time she ventures into the attic and discovers the perfect house for a mouse--a dollhouse. Joseph and Audubon leave. Cornelius flies south for the winter, but he sends Celeste a new friend, Violet (a wren). Celeste and Violet settle down to endure the winter companionable in the dollhouse.

What I thought: A delightful story with charming illustrations. A Nest for Celeste may only be a story about a mouse, but it's a first class adventure story. Villains, storms, and friends all combine to make it a quick read. I read the book with great enjoyment. The illustrations are just lovely. So reminiscent of Garth Williams (Charlotte's Web and the Little House books). The soft pencil of the illustrations set just the right tone for the book.

Favorite Illustrations: Celeste with Cornelius in cage (chapter 16), Celeste and toad (chapter 17), Lafayette and Celeste (chapter 20), Lafayette with Celeste in gondola (chapter 23), Parrots (chapter 23), Cornelius and Celeste (chapter 25), Celeste and Violet (chapter 37)

After learning about Audubon's methods, I am very thankful we have (digital) photography today. While I understand what Audubon wanted to achieve, I can't help but cringe at his methods. Those poor birds!

Favorite quote: "She thought of Cornelius and Lafayette; and as she offered a berry to Violet, she thought how good it was to have friends" (last page).(less)

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Jun 30, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books

Very appealing graphic novel/chapter book (in the style of Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret), this story told in pictures and text would make a great read-aloud for the younger, picture book set, or a fine read for transitional readers who are moving on up to chapter books. Otherwise, a quick and enchanting read for proficient chapter book readers. Celeste the mouse lives beneath the dusty floorboards of the Pirrie plantation in Louisiana in 1821. In her harrowing escape from the cat, she...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Mindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

A nest for Celeste was a really really good book! I loved it. Celeste is a mouse that makes baskets out of dried grass. She is bossed around by 2 rats. But when one of them gets eaten by a cat, the other doesn't bother her for a while. Celeste lives in a nice house. Then a teenage boy named Joseph, findS her. He is an apprentaince for a man named Audubon. Celetse helps other animals be set free, by making them pose. But then one of the birds that have been captured has asked her for dogwood berr...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, chapter-book, friendship, illustrated-novel, historical-fiction, nature, school-age

Celeste is a charming little mouse looking for a home. In constant danger from the cat, she nevertheless bravely searches for food, making friends along the way. She makes one good friend in Joseph, an assistant to John James Audubon, the naturalist. The reader learns that Audubon was not kind to the subjects of his paintings, as most of them were killed before they were painted. That is not the meat of the story though. The most important thing in this story is friendship – Celeste’s friendship...more

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About Henry Cole

Per back cover: He is a dandy dresser, but he does need to don his dentures when dining out. Illustrated many books for children. He lives in Virginia.

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“At that moment there were two feelings inside Celeste's tiny, rapidly beating heart that made her feel as full, and as empty, as a gourd. The sheer beauty of this moment was perfect and sublime. But she was alone.” — 1 person liked it

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title link	preview: A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home
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