[The Best Nest] (By: P D Eastman) [published: September, 1968]

by P.D. Eastman

Back in 1957, Theodor Geisel responded to an article in Life magazine that lamented the use of boring reading primers in schools. Using the pseudonym of "Dr. Seuss" (Seuss was Geisel's middle name) and only two hundred twenty-three words, Geisel created a replacement for those dull "The Cat in the Hat." The instant success of the book prompted Geisel and his wife to found Beginner Books, and Geisel wrote many popular books in this series, including "Hop on Pop, " "Fox in Socks, " and "Green Eggs and Ham." Other favorite titles in this series are "Go, Dog, Go!" and "Are You My Mother?" by P. D. Eastman, "A Fly Went By, " by Mike McClintock, and "Put Me in the Zoo, " by Robert Lopshire. These affordable hardcover books combine large print, easy vocabulary, and large, bright illustrations in stories kids will want to read again and again. Grades 1 - Grades 2.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Birds, Classics, Family

Unknown Binding

First published July 12, 1968

About the author

Philip Dey "Phil" Eastman was an American screenwriter, children's author, and illustrator. As an author, he is known primarily as P. D. Eastman. A protégé of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Eastman wrote many books for children, in his own distinct style under the Dr. Seuss brand of Random House, many of which were in the Beginner Books series.

From 1936 to 1941, Eastman worked at the story department of Walt Disney Productions. From 1941 to 1943 he worked at the story department of Warner Bros. Cartoons. From 1945 to 1952 he worked in the story department of United Productions of America. He contributed to the "Private Snafu" World War II training films, wrote for the animation Mr. Magoo, and the Gerald McBoing-Boing series for UPA.

Reviews

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.D. Eastman's The Best Nest is a story about finding the best home for your loved ones. I remembered reading a childhood poem which related to it too much.

Indeed, Mrs. Bird was too picky!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neo took the lead in this book, showing off some of his new skills. When Mrs. Bird complains that she does not like their current nest, Mr. Bird takes it upon himself to find them a new abode. A few spots look promising, but they just do not work. When the Birds settle on a lovely church steeple, they begin the process of finding the needed supplies, they find that this might be a perfect spot for them. However, something proves more disturbing than they can handle and Mrs. Bird flees their new home. Mr. Bird is frantic in his search for his wife, worried that she has disappeared forever. He’s in for quite the surprise.

Neo quite enjoyed this one, with easy to read words and some great illustrations. We will surely be back for more of these type of stories, perfect for the newer reader who wants to show off their skills.

Did you know Neo has his own profile for reviews? Check him out: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Mrs. Bird was a little quick to judge, but she was after all with egg.

[Kyrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to throttle Mrs. Bird for being so picky.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was like house hunters for birds lol.

[Neo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took the lead in this book, showing off some of my new skills. When Mrs. Bird complains that she does not like their current nest, Mr. Bird takes it upon himself to find them a new abode. A few spots look promising, but they just do not work. When the Birds settle on a lovely church steeple, they begin the process of finding the needed supplies, they find that this might be a perfect spot for them. However, something proves more disturbing than they can handle and Mrs. Bird flees their new home. Mr. Bird is frantic in his search for his wife, worried that she has disappeared forever. He’s in for quite the surprise.

I quite enjoyed this one, with easy to read words and some great illustrations that kept me highly interested. My dad and I will surely be back for more of these type of stories, perfect for the newer reader, like me, who wants to show off their skills.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Bird loves his nest, but Mrs. Bird is discontent, so off they go to find a new one. It's a nice enough story about taking your blessings for granted, though perhaps a bit sexist in Mrs. Bird's erratic portrayal being chalked up to hormones in the end.

Rated "Good" in our old book database by Rod and Adelia, Oct. 5, 2002.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have read this at some point in the past, but I don't remember it; it's not as memorable as some of Eastman's other books (especially Are You My Mother?). This is a story about a bird couple who become dissatisfied with their home. Actually, Mr. Bird loves his home... but Mrs. Bird is tired of it and hates it. She wants to relocate. So they fly off in search of a new place to build their nest, eventually placing it on top of a bell in a church steeple. As expected, it's not the dream home they've always wanted.

Mrs. Bird comes off as a bit of a stereotypical demanding wife, and Mr. Bird as the gormless husband. This may just be the book showing its age. It's subtle, but if old stereotypes like that bother you, you might want to stay away from this one.

Despite its length (why are Eastman's books all so long?!) it's a quick read and is fairly entertaining.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some passages from 'classic' literature that are worth keeping alive, such as this one; from, The Best Nest by P.D. Easton, "I love my house, I love my nest, In all the world, My nest is best." Do you concur?," and, if not: might not you be the reason? Just asking? -Please pardon the grammar errors. Sometimes, wisdom transcends grammar. But I still think grammar mechanics are important.

[Kandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book that my daughter loved, so we have read it at least 100 times. She still takes it to bed with her sometimes. Books - the ultimate comfort.

[sincerely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for my 6 year old to read aloud! We loved it! What a happy ending 🐣

[Yuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

[As a first grader] I just knew from the very beginning they were going to return to their old nest, just like Bernard in "A Bed for Bear." Mr. Bird loved their old nest and thought it was the best in the whole world. However, Mrs. Bird thought it was too old and hated it. She wanted something new, so they left to look for one. It was not easy. Mrs. Bird thought Mr. Bird made too many mistakes, so she picked their next house. It was inside a church but right above the big bell! They spent a lot of time building a new nest there. I laughed so much at how they collected hay, soda straws, broom straws, sweater strings, stocking string, mattress stuffing, and even horse hair and man hair for their new home. They thought it was their best nest, but when the big bell rang, their new home became a mess. The birds got separated, and Mr. Bird even thought Mrs. Bird was eaten by a cat. Finally, he bumped into his old nest and found Mrs. Bird there with their baby egg bird. She was happy about their old nest, and thought it was the best in the whole world.

I think Mrs. Bird was too bossy and too picky, but maybe she did it for their baby? Mr. Bird makes me think of the Fisherman in "The Fisherman and His Wife," but he appeared to be happy about what they already have. The baby bird looked so cute! What makes the best nest? For me, I would like a nest that is comfortable, shady, with a little bit of sunlight and a lot of yummy worms.

[As the parent helping my first-grader read and write] I think this is a great beginner book, which was vividly written and illustrated by P.D. Eastman. The text is big and easy to read, and the pictures blend well and add more to the fun. What makes the best nest? That was the question we focused on while reading and discussing about the book. My first grader was able to relate to other children's books, and even tried to find a pattern. For example, Mrs. Bird and Bernard, the bear, were dissatisfied with what they had, but after searching for a new place, they finally realized what they had was the best. It may not always be the case, especially in the real world, but at least the characters reached a state of closure after having spent time to explore different options. For that, I applaud their curiosity, courage, and temperance.

[Clara Jane Isch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener!

[Barbara Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text-to-World Connection: How does the theme or content presented in the book connect to something happening in the world?

Although this book is very simplified and cute, I couldn't help but notice that the theme related to constantly chasing after more to be happy. The Mrs. Bird was unsatisfied with her bird house because it was not the "best" as Mr. Bird so happily sang before. They searched high and low for the "best" bird house but never found it. At the end of the story Mrs. Bird goes missing and Mr. Bird goes searching for her. He eventually find his way back to their old bird house and finds Mrs. Bird there now singing the same song Mr. Bird sang before, "I love my house. I love my nest. In all the world, This nest is best." I feel this book really relates to how people are always in pursuit of happiness through bigger and better things. Sometimes, it's easy to be distracted by what you are told is the best, but that is all relative. Everyone has an opinion and sometimes the "best" is what brings you the most joy whether it's expensive, cheap, big, or small. For this story, home was where the heart was all along.

[Brian Harticat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sunk myself in this book. The life lessons this book gives are priceless. The biggest lesson is this: Do not listen to your nagging wife! I think I speak for most men on this. What the bird should have done is re-model the birdhouse, put in a sports den and wet bar. Then his buds could come over and hang. The wife bird would have been wise to make snacks and keep the birdhouse clean. I hope the author writes a sequel to this book where the dad bird tells her to find her own place, then turns the birdhouse into a swingin' bachlor pad. Now that I would read! To sum up, a must read.

[Acton · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Bodhi - 4 stars) The main idea of this book is that two birds are looking for a nest. I liked it because they had to look and look for a nest and they found one eventually, and it was funny.
(Saskia - 5 stars) Mr. Bird sang a song and he was so happy because he loved his house. Mrs. Bird came home and told him to stop singing because she did not like their house. The whole book is about them trying to find a new nest, but then they find their old nest again. I would give this book five stars because I could sing along to the song, which I liked.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course I read this a long time ago. But I got it on ... Saturday? To go with my new color Nook and read with my niece. Fun!

And ironic, considering my day today. Be happy with what you have. A lesson to be learned by all of us.

[Danette · Rating 4 out of 5]

2/16/21 Julia read to me

[Alysia]

So sweet. Took me back to my childhood .

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent one. Very fun and funny. Great to read aloud or as a beginning reader.

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet little book about home.

[Inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and educational✌
great art and good text spacing and size

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one from my very young days.

[Melissa Koser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring to look at, boring to read. A good children's book is fun for both the child and the parent.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had fun introducing my first graders to some more books by P. D. Eastman today. They loved this one!

[ryan wilkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me appreciate my childhood home—that really was the nest I liked best!

[Watch Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well illustrated and engaging book about home and family. Would recommend. -Zoe

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no place like home
17 November 2013

This is a wonderful little story (see I am not always harsh when it comes to Children's books) about two birds who decide that they no longer like their old house (or at least the woman doesn't, the man is perfectly happy to sit on top of his house and sing his song all day about how his nest is the best nest) and go on a quest to find a new house. However every house they find is either occupied (by a foot, or some letters) or has hidden traps (such as the steeple tower). What is interesting is that this book, unlike others, has a story to it, and flows like the typical story.

Basically they start off with a goal, and when they think they have achieved that goal something bad happens and Mr Bird is wondering around the town, and at the darkest point in the story the clouds gather and it starts to rain. However, quite by luck, though not to the extent that you would call it a deus ex machina, the problems are solved and everybody ends up living happily ever after.

I guess the theme of this story is that there is no place like home. At the beginning one of them becomes sick of her home and wants something better, however it turns out, at the end, that the best place was actually the place that you originally started from. However the thing that comes down to this realisation is that sometimes you have to lose something because you realise the value of that something in the end. Here it is that the best home was in their original home.

That is not always the case though because I moved 700 km from where I grew up to a new city, and now, on my second visit back to Adelaide this year I have come to realise that I actually miss my new home. Granted I like being around my parents, but I guess I have reached that age (at least with our Anglo-saxon mindset) where I prefer the independence of my new home, and also the friendships that I am beginning to build. However, I suspect that there may have been other reasons above and beyond Mrs Bird's reason for wanting a new home that caused me to move interstate.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites when I was a kid. It was fun to be able to read it to my son and have his enjoy it as well.
Eastman has always been one of my favorite children's authors, I even like her books more than Seuss simply because it isn't filled with a bunch of tongue twisters.
So Mrs. Bird isn't happy with their nest, and even though Mr. Bird loves it, they leave to look for a new nest. They try lots of places that don't work out, until Mrs. Bird decides to nest on a bell in a church. They get their nest ready when the bell is rung. Scares away Mrs. Bird. Mr. Bird has no idea where she is. He looks and looks until he comes upon a fat with feathers near its mouth. He thinks that the cat has eaten Mrs. Bird. Sad, he flies off into the storm and crashes into something. It's his own nest that Mrs. Bird hated. He goes inside to whether the story and there she is, laying an egg. She's happy with the old house and now they're happily back together and with a little chick.

[Alicia Singleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about two birds that set out to find a better nest. On their journey, they run into many unique animals and things. After their many trials and misfortunes on finding a better nest, they find comfort in their old nest. This book can teaches a good lesson on being grateful on what one already has. It also teaches children that what you already have in front of you can become what is best for you. Also, it’s a song book. In the book, Mr. Bird sings a little song about his nest; "I love my house. I love my nest. In all the world this nest is best." This can be enjoyable when reading aloud to a group of children. The children can be get involved in the story by singing Mr. Bird’s song together. The book also deals with perspectives. In the beginning, Mrs. Bird did not have a good perspective on their nest, but in the end, she had a much better perspective on their nest.

Eastman, P. D. (1968). The best nest. New York: Beginner Books.