A Round of Robins

by Katie Hesterman, Katie Hesterman

Sixteen fresh and funny poems welcome a new batch of robins to the world!

Food Fight
Jumble, jostle, rumble, squirm;
Dad has landed with a worm.
Game of tug-of-war begins--
Biggest bossy baby wins.

Mama's a skillful architect, constructing a sturdy nest, while Dad's a champion turf defender. And those hatchlings! Such fluffs of plump perfection!

Katie Hesterman's vibrant verse celebrates this awesome circle of bird life, as we follow a pair of robin parents from nest-building and egg-laying, to raising their hungry hatchlings, and finally sending off their flying fledglings. Sergio Ruzzier's brilliant, candy-colored art pays tribute to all these stages of a robin's life cycle, reminding us that while robins may be common, they are also extraordinary!

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Birds, Animals, Nature, Childrens, Nonfiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 27, 2018

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This clever book uses funny poems to introduce us to a robin family. From nest building, to hatching, to flying off on their own, we watch those babies grow. Delightful illustrations by Sergio Ruzzier add to the fun.

[Cheryl A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey! Good science in a cute picture-book with tot-friendly 'poems.' The song the father sings at the beginning of the book is just what they sound like irl. "Biggest bossy baby wins" is also true. Highly recommended to all families and early primary teachers. Not necessarily to ppl like me who just read children's books for personal pleasure, though, as it's not all that lovely or moving or anything.

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Put this is in your bin of Spring books, or maybe poetry books. Hesterman does a masterful job of infusing science content in adorable poems chronicling raising a brood of robins from nest building to watching them leave the nest.

[Shelley Kinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous children's book with stunning illustrations and beautifully written rhyming text. It's a pretty fast read, so great for bedtime or whenever. Highly recommend!

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each page, or double-page spread has a poem in the life of a family of robins.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really excited for this book - our kindergarten students go through a whole bird unit so this will be a perfect addition.
Short, quick rhyming poems that give information - kids won't even realize what they are adding to their knowledge of robins while reading these fun poems!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sergio Ruzzier’s illustrations and this time he teams with Katie Kesterman who’s written a series of poem/stories of a robin and her babies. It’s pleasing to see, and quite wonderful to read the rhymes that show nest to flight. Dad’s included with his defensive words: “Back away, ‘Cause Mom and I are here to stay!” and Mom’s right there building her home: “It’s guaranteed a perfect fit/So all she has to do is sit.” Ruzzier fills the pages with daytime action and expressions, sure to be helpful and fun when kids study the robin’s habits and timeline of home to nest to babies. It’s terrific

[Jj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, you really can't go wrong with Sergio Ruzzier illustrating just about anything. This book is no exception--his robins are delightful. This series of poems chronicles the life story/cycle of a family of robins. It is, by turns, funny and sweet. The rhymes in the poetry are charming instead of irritating, and even (shhhhhh, don't say this part too loudly) informative. This would be a good choice to use with elementary students as well as in a storytime about birds/springtime/robins.

Thanks to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A fun book of poems about robins. Since these are poems and the birds are anthropomorphized, I wouldn't use it as highly informational, but readers will learn some info from the poems. The depictions of the birds are amusing and the artwork's palette is warm and welcoming. Front papers show eggs with some starting to crack and back shows chicks emerging from those cracked blue eggs.

I dinged the book half a star for the use of 'incubake' instead of 'incubate.' Incubake is not a word and seems lazy just in order to make the rhyme the author wants.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another example of a fabulous non-fiction book that is not written in a typical "analytical" format. This book does a great job discussing the life cycle of a robin but it does it all through poetry. Each stage is a different short poem. It shows students that once you do research and know what you are talking about you can write in any format that you think the reader will enjoy and that will get your voice across.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have a maple tree in our backyard that provides a close up look at the life of robins. Every spring the robins return to that same tree to build their nests. It's a treat to watch them and this lovely book of poetry uses softly colored illustrations and lyrical, rhyming text to celebrate the robins' life from egg to leaving the nest. This would be a great book to partner with the nonfiction picture book, Robins!: How They Grow Up by Eileen Christelow.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rhyming picture book packs a punch; beautiful illustrations, lilting rhyme, and lots of great facts about robins woven into the narrative. My particular favorite was,

"A heater hides on Mama's chest
To warm each egg inside her nest.
With sensors set at incubake,
In just a dozen days she'll make
Four little ones set to hatch-
An up-and-coming birdie batch."

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry
K-2nd grade
This is a really cute book about the lifecycle of robins. The poems are broken up into each stage of life, so it almost creates "chapters" that are about a page long. The pastel colors used in the artwork really add to the story. I think kids would enjoy learning about a robin's lifecycle through this poetry book.

[Joan Arbogast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the playfulness of this story about one of the joys of spring - the nesting of robins - all told in playful verse like the one below.

Welcome to the World
Pip, pip, an eggshell chip.
Peck, peck, a bright blue fleck.
Tweak, tweak, a peeking beak,
C-R-R-R-A-C-K-E-D...
All unpacked!

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short poems celebrate the life of one of Spring's most recognizable backyard birds. I really liked the retro, almost Seussian landscapes, but I found the design of the birds themselves a little too odd.

[Melissa Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the life of a Robin bird through the life cycle and contributions of a Robin’s parents is a wonderful book of poems that are fluidly read and provide so much learning within the teachings of life sciences.

[Julie Rothlauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life cycle of birds is introduced throughout this text, told through short poems about each stage of life. The book is filled with adorable illustrations that children will love. They will also love following along to the rhyming poems and how they connect to the life cycle.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Katie, for bothering to work on the meter of your poems so the lines match up. It drives me crazy how many other rhyming books have serious issues in this department. Anyways, I liked the text for the most part, but I did NOT like Ruzzier's palette.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think kids will like this and I love both the Sergio Ruzzier illustrations and brief text to cover the science of a bird's first year. I actually can see teachers using it as a writing (drawing) mentor for animal life cycles. Fun.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the life cycle of birds is discussed in your area, this is an excellent story that talks about robins from laying eggs to babies to adulthood. The text is poetical, and the illustrations comforting.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

11/24/2018 ~ A whimsical look at the life-cycle of robins told through a series of poems. Younger children will love perusing the illustrations to find bugs and other members of the robin's ecosystem. (Indiana author).

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful poems follow a pair of robins from building their nest through laying eggs, raising babies, and becoming empty nesters. Good science in an engaging format. The illustrations aren’t my favorite style but do add sone humor.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really impressed with this one. It's a whole series of poems that tell the life cycle of a family of robins. Plus it's got really nice, soft illustrations. The cadence of the poems, the love of the family of robins, and the muted illustrations make this a perfect bedtime read.

[Zachary McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A round of robins” is a very enjoyable children’s book. The rhymes and art style are very simple and enjoyable. Each section is separated by what’s happening and a new set of rhymes begins which I quite enjoy.

[Jake Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be entertaining for young readers because of the cartoonish illustrations and emphasis on rhyming. While there are some big words, I think that it could be a good book for a very early reader because of its simplicity.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable, rhythmic look at robin life.

[The Voracious Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book of children’s poems. Really enjoyed the illustrations.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute! The story outlines the life span of a robin, from building a nest, laying eggs, the eggs hatching, and the baby birds leaving the nest...all in fun rhyme.

[Arminzerella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informational poetry book about robins raising clutches of chicks. Illustrations were a little too anthropomorphic for me - would have preferred more realistic depictions of the birds.

[Raven Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie - what a sweet book of rhyme! A fantastic debut. Congratulations - great for preschoolers and elementary age.