Detailed realistic illustrations follow a pair of robins as they build their nest, lay eggs, wait for them to hatch, care for their fledglings, and, finally, fly away again with a large group of robins. The text is minimal, and the pen-and-ink drawings use a variety of page designs and visual perspectives to tell this naturally dramatic story that avoids anthropomorphizing the birds. Vertical panels are effectively used to show the passage of time-the parents flying back and forth ... and back and forth .... with food for the juveniles, for example-and small moments of conflict (such as, the parents fending off a hungry snake). The beauty of this book is in its understatement, in both the narrative and the uncluttered illustrations, drawn in black and white with occasional touches of robin's egg blue to depict the eggs, the sky, and the stunning end pages. (Ages 2-6)