Born Inside a Nest So Small

An alert child gets to know a ruby-throated hummingbird.
From spring to fall, the young narrator, tan-skinned with tousled brown curls, records observations in rhyming couplets addressed to the animal. These rhymes are complemented by factual descriptions, differentiated from the verse by typeface and font. The text is set directly on Trapani’s paintings, which accurately depict the male ruby-throated hummingbird (young and green, and with red hues as an adult) and its drabber green mother. The bird’s tiny size is emphasized in scenes that show him dwarfed by flowers, a feeder, and the child. The clothing the young narrator wears demonstrates the passing of the seasons from spring to summer to fall. Some of the child’s commentary comes from observation (how the bird flies, his “bitty wings,” his feeding habits) and some from a book—nesting behavior, in particular. As summer comes to a close, the hummingbird seems to say goodbye—a moment based on personal experience, Trapani notes in an afterword. The child can only imagine the bird’s long migration over water and the relief of his arrival at his warm winter home. The tone is gentle and admiring, the facts are accurate and sensibly selected for younger readers or listeners, and the lines scan comfortably for a read-aloud.
An attractive title for the nature shelf and storytime.
—Kirkus Reviews

A child heads out with binoculars around their neck and a hummingbird book in hand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the minuscule marvel. They’re soon rewarded with a visit from a ruby-throated variety, and as the hummingbird hovers, the child regales it with immediate observations and fascinating facts they’ve absorbed from their reading. Impressive behavioral habits, sweet size comparisons, and the titular nesting features are all entertaining topics of discussion. When the feathered flier zooms away, the child imagines its amazing impending migration and bids it farewell with the hope of meeting again next summer. The captivating hummingbird crash course charms on every sunny spread. The lively rhyming text takes center stage, but occasional asides in a smaller font add more-scientific detail. Uncomplicated, attractive watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations let the little bird shine, and adorable details abound (eagle-eyed readers may note that the hummingbird book in the child’s hand looks an awful lot like the one they’re currently reading). It may be a small subject, but this immediately accessible avian introduction has enormous appeal.
—Booklist