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by Courtney Dicmas

Overview

Pippi and Burt are tired of sharing their crowded nest with eight noisy little siblings, so off they fly to see the big, wide world and find a new home. But when they encounter all sorts of big, scary, hungry creatures, Pippi and Burt realize their crowded old nest is the best home of all. Here is an ideal story for anyone who appreciates the riotous joys (and challenges) of a large, rowdy family. It’s a funny and warm tribute to both the thrill of adventure and the love of home.

"Dicmas' expressive, paint-splotched birds have an adventurous spirit all their own [...] the page-turn reveals are their own reward. - Kirkus


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385385367
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	04/28/2015
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
File size:	21 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Courtney Dicmas is a Faculty Instructor of Illustration and Graphic Design at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin. After earning her BA in fine art from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2006, Courtney traveled for five years, where, among her many adventures, she played saxophone in a reggae band in Brazil, taught kids the hokey pokey in South Korea, salted leeches off her ankles in Thailand, and nibbled sheep’s stomach in Iraq. She then spent four years in England, where she received a master’s degree in children’s book illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, before moving back to teach in the U.S. in 2015.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

A look at the cover clearly shows readers must suspend their disbelief for this unusual bird family tale. Ten cave swallow siblings live in one nest. The oldest two serve as pseudo-parents, caring for the other eights. Pippi and Burt can be distinguished by their bigger size and polka dots of every color; the other chicks each have dots of just one color. Living in such close quarters creates difficulties for the bird family. Pippi grumbles, the “nest is too SMALL!” a complaint that many children with siblings will understand. Pippi and Burt resolve to find someplace “BIG” that will better accommodate the stinky feet, judo, band practice, and more. The first place is “BIG and sturdy,” but it turns out to be too “hard.” The second place is “fluffy,” but it turns out to be too “fast” and “bouncy.” The third place turns out to be too “pointy.” A series of other locations are found to be similarly unsuitable. Finally, they find—or, rather, return to—what seems to be their perfect place. Or is it? A flip of the last page shows the move-minded twosome clad in hardhats and examining building plans. Readers will enjoy the variety of places Pippi and Burt explore, and they will be eager to explain why each is not a good fit for the bird family. Colorful and cartoonlike, this might be a fun selection for sharing during preschool or library story time. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green; Ages 4 to 8.

Children's Literature - Heidi Hauser Green

01/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—In a family of cave swallows, big brother Burt and big sister Pippi think their nest is too packed to share with their eight active siblings, so they set off to find another place to live. They land in several possible spots that turn out to be unsuitable—a sturdy but hard turtle's shell, a fluffy but too fast cheetah's back, and other unaccommodating animals. Eventually they decide that the best home is their own crowded but comfortable nest. The fanciful gouache, acrylic, and colored pencil drawings of polka-dotted birds and animals vary from super close-ups of Burt and Pippi (meaning readers won't be able to see what animal the birds are standing on) to wider shots that reveal why these choices would not make suitable homes. However, one can't help but wonder why all the possible homes involve other animals, instead of more obvious options, such as a tree or rooftop. Although the art is perky, the story doesn't hold up against P. D. Eastman's classic The Best Nest (Random, 1968).—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

School Library Journal

2015-01-20
A family of cave swallows decides that its nest is too small.Ten brother and sister birds pile high atop one another, squeezing beak to beak and feather to feather to fit inside the nest. If only they had a bigger home! Then there would there be room for everybody, not to mention extra airspace for Rupert's smelly feet and Cecil's wheezy bagpipe notes. Big brother Burt and big sister Pippi set off to find a brand new—big—place to live. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as they hoped. The first spot, which seems nice and sturdy, is actually the shell of a turtle. The second, which appears soft and fluffy, happens to be on the back of a very bouncy cheetah. They go through many options—too pointy, too tall, too squishy, too…hungry (gulp)—until finally (as predicted with the title wordplay) they find their original home is where they belong. It is of course difficult to not draw immediate parallels to the timeless classic The Best Nest, by P.D. Eastman, especially given the avian theme, but Dicmas' expressive, paint-splotched birds have an adventurous spirit all their own. A few choppy parts lead to an uneven read-aloud, but the page-turn reveals are their own reward. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Review