What's Inside A Bird's Nest?: And Other Questions About Nature & Life Cycles

by Rachel Ignotofsky

Discover the next nonfiction picture book about eggs, nests, and birds from the creator of the New York Times bestseller Women in Science, Rachel Ignotofsky!

Want to learn more about the bird that chirps outside your window? Ignotofsky crafts a perfect read out loud with a touch of humor and compassion for our friends with wings in the sky!

Find out more from the moment they hatch, to how they create their homes in this perfectly detailed and soon-to-be springtime favorite read!

Rachel Ignotofsky's beautiful, distinctive art style and engaging, informative text clearly answers any questions a child (or adult) could have about birds, eggs, and nests in this nonfiction picture book series.

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

48 pages, Hardcover

Published March 5, 2024

About the author

Rachel Ignotofsky grew up in New Jersey on a healthy diet of cartoons and pudding. She graduated with honors from Tyler School of Art’s graphic design program in 2011. Now she lives in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri, where she spends all day drawing and learning as much as she can. She has a passion for taking dense information and making it fun and accessible and is dedicated to creating educational works of art.

Rachel is inspired by history and science and believes that illustration is a powerful tool that can make learning exciting. She uses her work to spread her message about education, scientific literacy, and powerful women. She hopes this book inspires girls and women to follow their passions and dreams.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as pretty on the inside as it was on the outside! This is a great introduction to learning more about birds from their appearances, to their mating habits, where they live, what they eat, their migration patterns, their life cycles, and more. I was thoroughly impressed with the level of detail and the beautiful illustrations. I’m definitely looking forward to picking up more in this series.

[Lauren Gibson (rocknreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! The illustrations and explanations were perfect for school aged children. I loved that all of the different birds were labeled and especially that the language was good for littles to understand. There are lots of great facts about birds and their life cycles in here. I thought it was interesting the different styles of nests birds make instinctively knowing they are protecting their eggs from predators! This was a great read and I think this is going to become a new favorite for us.

Thanks Penguin Kids for my copy of this new book.

[Katherine Szerdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT’S INSIDE A BIRD’S NEST
By Rachel Ignotofsky, author and illustrator ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ATTENTION PARENTS,TEACHER, GRANDPARENTS—I checked out this picture book from our local library, and it so lassoed my heart just from looking at the cover that I had to order a copy from our local bookstore! Each page encourages even tiny tots to want to linger so as not to miss a thing! Haiku and rhymes lace each illustration and factoid. Though not a storybook, the birds tell their own stories through their actions! This picture book is worth every penny and would make a great addition to any child’s library (age 4-100)! I might even use this book as a model for a collaborative English/Science middle or high school project as a fun way of doing a report on a nature topic by creating their own picture book!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful series. Very engaging.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza! This is a fantastic resource. Packed with lots of interesting and educational information, this book is a true gem. If you’re looking for specific information or just want to read about birds, this book is one that you should definitely pick up. A reader-friendly treasure, this nonfiction book speaks to the reader, pumping out information about these feathered friends from many different topics including but not limited to: their relationships, habitats, their anatomy, and it even covers all the different names of the feathers on their bodies.

I liked how the book laid out the information on the pages and how they used different fonts within the pages. There is a large selection of realistic birds drawn on the pages (with the bird’s name written beside it) and the book has a great flow to it. What might you learn:
How important the chalaza is to an egg.
The difference between an altricial and a precocial.
How do birds stay safe and communicate.

What are contour and flight feathers and their purpose.
Migration patterns for 6 different birds – did you know that 40% of birds migrate?
That birds have a special sense within them that helps them navigate.
What you can do to help birds.
I really enjoyed this book and think this is a fantastic book. This is one book that will be read repeatedly as there’s lots of information inside it. 5 stars

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT’S INSIDE A BIRD’S NEST? is the latest title in Rachel Ignotofsky’s What’s Inside series. This book is packed with fascinating information about birds delivered through minimal text that will engage young readers.

You will learn:
How nests are made
The courting rituals of birds
The ways birds defend their nests against predators
Bird anatomy
Bird diets
How their eating and pooping habits benefit the environment

It’s obvious Ignotofsky spent a lot of time researching facts and filling the pages with colorful, carefully labeled illustrations.

You will see:
Red-crowned cranes dance
A Common Tailorbird sew leaves together with string
A Killdeer fake a injury
A penduline tit outsmart a snake
The barbules of a feather
A bird’s hollow bone

Back matter includes educational activities with websites to visit and a list of books for further reading.

Fun Extra: Ignotofsky created coloring pages and worksheets that are free to download on her website.

Published by: Crown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 48
Ages: 4-7

Want to support the author/illustrator, editor, and many others who brought this book to life? Borrow and/or buy the book, ask your local bookstore/library to purchase copies, and share your review of the book online.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book introduction to birds, their common characteristics, different broad types of birds, how feathers work, and why birds are important to the environment. The book also covers different birds’ various nests, beaks, claws, ways of attracting a mate, raising young, life cycles, diets, and migratory patterns.

Another excellent, engaging and informative book from Rachel Ignotofsky. There was just 1 thing I wanted to fix in this, and it said birds migrate south in the fall and north in the spring, but technically they migrate both south and north in the fall (leaving when it is each hemisphere’s fall season…I’m guessing the author left it that way so she didn’t have to explain that each hemisphere has different seasons, but the poor kids in the Southern Hemisphere may read this and get confused). Still, that was a relatively minor thing. The illustrations are great, and Ignotofsky packs so much information into this picture book, but it is so well done you don’t realize how much you are soaking in.

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

        As a follow up to What's Inside a Caterpillar? and What's Inside a Flower? comes the most obvious, birds! All the books by Ignotofsky are informative and beautiful and Bird's Nest does not disappoint. The whole series is perfect for little kids admiring the pictures or bigger kids learning from the smaller text and backmatter. I love all the artwork, stunning and engaging to even the youngest littles. I also love that all of the birds are real and have their common name listed with the continent where they originate from. While these books are listed under children's non-fiction, they easily have crossover to any bird enthusiast because of their informative nature and quality of art. A wonderful book for any school, library, or home that loves our feathered friends.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully crafted informational book about birds contains ample content in its text and illustrations. Each of the two-page spreads contains drawings of labeled birds as it discusses how birds move, how they build their nests, what their eggs are like, how they court their partners through songs, colors and dances, how they protect and hatch their eggs, how they ward off their enemies, how they develop from hatchlings, what their feathers are like, what are other parts of bird's anatomy, what they eat, how they help the environment, how they migrate, and how we can protect them. The book ends with some sources and resources for readers to explore further. The book expertly labels illustrations so the reader to gain more insights into birds. This is a great resource book for home and classroom collections.

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! We LOVED this one!!! Our nature-loving daughter absolutely loved all the great facts, and the awesome illustrations. This one was totally non-fiction, fact awesomeness- while adding in some creative art & some funny little text bubbles.

I can’t wait to book talk this one to my students- and I am excited to get more from this author!

Fun fact: Did you know?
Birds that mature after hatching- that are reliant on their parents for food & safety (like a cardinal) are called “altricial”
Birds that hatch already mature- are able to swim, walk, or hunt for food right away (like a swan)- are called precocial.
Such cool new vocabulary to learn, that led to some great discussions about birds we know and whether they are “altricial” or “precocial”

Definitely get this one for your science/nature/bird lovers- and add it to your class or school library!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

First instinct with the illustrations which appeared old style, was that this book would appeal to my elders. I was so wrong! There is depth and wonder and so many collected facts in here that are sometimes hidden in the illustrations beautifully. Capturing this much wonder in a picture book is magical and I am smitten! This book has amazing non-fiction text features as well as backmatter for further learning. My students will be so happy for the coloring sheets on her website.

Rachel Ignotofsky's work needs to be available for students everywhere. I will be buying myself (two school libraries) the What's inside series as it specifically pertains to elementary curriculum. If funds are found, I may need every one of her books. They are wonderful!!!!







(Kudos to Melissa Stewart for her magical list that has brought me to this spectacular book!)

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Very Nice bird book, although I'm questioning the choice to have the mute swan on page 4 eating a fish (not a common food item for the species) (but probably easier to draw than water weeds) and the snowy owl on page 20 going 'Caw! Caw!'. Snowy owls hoot and hiss and whistle and clack their beaks. I'll be the first to acknowledge how hard it can be to spell out nature sounds, but I couldn't find a sound sample I'd call a 'caw' with all the good will in the world.
I did appreciate the variety of people enjoying the outdoors, and the message to keep your cat inside, or walking them outside on a leash.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment in the series that includes What's Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon?: And Other Questions About Moths & Butterflies and What's Inside A Flower?: And Other Questions About Science & Nature. I hope we get many more!

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you might want to know about birds, their reproductive systems, eggs, nests, species can be found in this book. And it's fabulously illustrated too. I would love to see this book and others in this series get added into school libraries and classrooms.

[Amy Roebuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully detailed and busy book that takes birds and their lives from the local to the global. I'm sure my daughter-in-law, a parks educator, naturalist and avid birder will want one for her professional library.

[Holly Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is really well done. Tons of information about birds with fun, engaging illustrations. The fun little quips keep your attention. Just right for reading together or sitting alone soaking in the information. Really well done.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers information about birds from how they live, and grow, and their importance to nature, and the planet earth.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of great information presented in a way that is highly readable, interesting, and colourful. Includes sources and resources.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning informative narrative text with equally stunning images

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another gorgeous addition to the series. I want her to write about and illustrate all the science topics!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great title that will be incredibly useful in classroom investigations.

[Brittany Cassel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boys and I both loved this book as well! Lots of facts but in an engaging way with beautiful illustrations. I plan to pick up more of her nature books.

[Robin Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

[Shannon (That's So Poe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always with Ignotofsky, such amazing illustrations and such an approachable way to explain nature/science! Really love this series of young children's picture books exploring the world around us.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING art and bird facts.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent title on the subject of birds and could be used by all ages. As a long time bird watcher I learned some information not so much about identification, but about bird habits and biology. I especially like the info on courtship and the various types of nests. I have seen a number of “scrape” nests but didn’t have the term for it.
There is also good information on different growth speeds of types of birds, terms for the different growth stages, types pan functions of feathers, shapes of bills, beaks, and feet.
Great illustrations, well labeled and one is learning from the illustrations and labels and not text.
I will be reading more titles in this series.