Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
(This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation.
The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Ī new classic that will ease children through any holiday season.Ī home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature. Though the book is a funny riff on a familiar Christmas song, there aren’t any Yuletide-specific references, nor does it appear to be set during winter, making this delightful and dynamic story perfect for any time of year. Glenn’s bright art makes inspired use of perspective and a broad palette to emphasize the joys and chaos of large family gatherings. Brown cleverly turns an old tune into a modern, energetic romp. The narrator’s disappointment when the sweet potato pie is eaten turns the repeating verses on their heads a change in language mirrors the shift in attitude familiar to anyone who’s had enough of family for one night. As the night wears on, the view of the house expands to include a long table of food, round tables for games of spades, and a dance floor. Toddlers and aunties and fraternity brothers crowd in. Counting up from the first dinging doorbell to the dizzying 12th, people arrive-“two selfie queens,” “three posh sibs”-and dishes pile up (“four pounds of chitlins” and the highlight, “BAKED MACARONI AND CHEEEEEESE!”). Soul food and larger-than-life personalities populate the pages of this catch-all family celebration.īeginning and ending with “a sweet potato pie just for me,” this colorful picture book modeled after “The Twelve Days of Christmas” follows a young Black child as doorbells ring and the house fills with relatives.
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