CONTENT:
The story by Denise Fleming's book This Is the Nest That Robin Built focuses on Robin, an American robin who builds a nest in order to lay her blue eggs. Throughout the picturebook, the readers encounter various animal that help Robin gather the materials to build her nest; the pig, for instance, prepares the mud with patience, and the horse gives to Robin some of his straw. The book describes how Robin creates her nest using every component and finally she lays eggs in it. At the end of the picturebook, the readers can see the fledglings hatching. The reader accompanies them all the way until they leave the nest.
WHY USING THIS BOOK:
This story stimulates children’s curiosity and generates interest towards the life cycle of the American robin showing the interrelation between various animals in the ecosystem. The written text of the picturebook is a long nursery rhyme with repetitive structures that generate predictability and facilitate the comprehension of new terms. Written text and illustration symmetrically combine. At the end of the picturebook an entire double spread summarizes all the steps taken by Robin to build the nest with the help of materials prepared by other animals. This allows the readers/listeners to see how each element has been used, further supporting the comprehension of new expressions.
