TWO BLUE JAYS

Having watched caterpillars Becoming Butterflies (2002) in a previous episode, the children in Miss Dana’s class have ringside seats when two blue jays build a nest outside the classroom’s window, and raise four chicks. To Rockwell’s brief commentary on the adult jays’ nurturing behavior toward each other and toward their offspring, Halsey depicts high spots in tidy bas-relief paper collages. A selection of the eggs and adults of other commonly seen yard or woodland birds on the endpapers makes a pleasant addition. Despite inconsistent pronoun use (“We made a list of what the male brought back in its beak. When he wasn’t searching for food….”), this affords a clear, concise explanation of a natural event that even most urban children will be able to observe on their own. (afterword) (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)