(Reviewed with Sparrow Takes Flight by Amber Hendricks) These pleasing entries in the Little Nature Explorers board book series pair rhyming texts offering rich vocabulary with cozy illustrations. In Sparrow Takes Flight, a fledgling sparrow prepares to fly for the first time. (“Quiver, quiver, quake. / Ruffled feathers shake.”) Home-building activities of four different animals (squirrel, bird, ant, and beaver) are featured in Nature’s Architects. (“Plan, plan, plot. / Pick the perfect spot.”)

Birds build nests. Beavers build lodges. Animals' homes are all different, but they're all built to protect young. Amber Hendricks's short, expressive text lines with repeated action words, together with Gavin Scott's cozy illustrations, make this poem perfect for sharing with babies and toddlers and encouraging all ages to appreciate nature.