Scan barcode
smit1286's review against another edition
4.0
Based on the cover, you might be believe this to only be a cutesy animal book, but I was pleasantly surprised that the historical content was actually really very interesting. I ended up learning quite a bit about James Audubon. It also inspired me to learn more about extinct North American birds, such as the ivory billed woodpecker, passenger pigeon, and Carolina parakeet, of which I knew very little.
julialou's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, my heart is so warm from this book. Celeste is a loving, hard-working little creature anxious to know what makes a true home. The coziness and earnestness of her life were a perfect contrast to a couple of stormy afternoons as I read. Battle of the Books is exposing me to some great children's literature I didn't know was out there!
themagicalinbetween's review against another edition
4.0
Henry Cole's illustrations are always beautiful. And I found this book he both authored and illustrated. It is told from the perspective of a mouse. It has a bit of a Beatrix Potter mixed with the Diary of an Edwardian Lady in the details but in a story form. I love that it includes the historical character of John James Audubon and a unique and real perspective of the cost of his "art".
mandy02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
5.0
alexandradk3's review against another edition
5.0
I read this boom aloud to my daughter Celeste and we both loved it. The illustrations were a great addition to the story.
librariandest's review against another edition
2.0
In the style of [b:Hugo Cabret|67593|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170676646s/67593.jpg|527941], this book features large pencil drawings that complement the text. The drawings are really wonderful in their detail and, I think, the most enjoyable part of the book. I also liked the little mouse Celeste herself. Though she never really came alive on the page, what we saw of her was lovable, and her journey to find a home and a friend is compelling.
Ok, now I'm done being nice. I have to say, right off the bat I was not a fan of the second half of the title. It's a little tacky to hit readers over the head with the themes of the book right up front. There are some good post-colon descriptions in the history of titles that sing (e.g. [b:The Tale of Despereaux|37190|The Tale of Despereaux Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread|Kate DiCamillo|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168855193s/37190.jpg|1508178]) but they have some playfulness going on. Henry Cole's choice of title addendum is both insulting, and even worse, false advertising. This little book does not live up to its subtitle.
Furthermore, it's strange for a book that is mostly about adorable animals to have such a gruesome side to it. Apparently, John James Audobon killed, and in some cases practically tortured, his feathered subjects. Ugh. I don't know who to give this book to. It would be upsetting to the little kids who would love its cuteness. Kids old enough to handle the dark stuff might be turned off the preciousness of it.
Ok, now I'm done being nice. I have to say, right off the bat I was not a fan of the second half of the title. It's a little tacky to hit readers over the head with the themes of the book right up front. There are some good post-colon descriptions in the history of titles that sing (e.g. [b:The Tale of Despereaux|37190|The Tale of Despereaux Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread|Kate DiCamillo|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168855193s/37190.jpg|1508178]) but they have some playfulness going on. Henry Cole's choice of title addendum is both insulting, and even worse, false advertising. This little book does not live up to its subtitle.
Furthermore, it's strange for a book that is mostly about adorable animals to have such a gruesome side to it. Apparently, John James Audobon killed, and in some cases practically tortured, his feathered subjects. Ugh. I don't know who to give this book to. It would be upsetting to the little kids who would love its cuteness. Kids old enough to handle the dark stuff might be turned off the preciousness of it.
alyssahedge's review against another edition
4.0
I thought is was sad in the end. I think it was cute how Celeste made lots of new friends. I thought it was sad what happened to her family. I liked the part when she found Joseph. I don't think it was nice what Mr. Audubon did with the birds at all.
-- review by Quinn, 6.75 years old
My review:
The real world is hard and maybe that is why I prefer fantasy. I had a hard time with this book...it made me think of Charlotte's Web. Let me start by saying that our heroine lives in the end. But through the book we encounter many highs and lows of this sweet mouse. She is bullied by rats, nearly drowned in a thunderstorm, almost killed by a cat, but her bully meets that fate instead, and witnesses birds being shot or one who dies in captivity at the hands of Mr. Audubon who likes to pose his subjects utilizing rigor mortis or pins.
It sounds awful, right? At the same time, there are wonderful creatures that Celeste meets on her adventures and many ways that we see friendship and love at work. She uses lots of ingenuity in challenging situations and I loved her basket making skills. We also see how this little mouse could be a part of changing how Mr. Audubon created his art without harming the birds.
I wasn't so happy with the ending as it felt a bit punted where this bird just shows up right at the end and makes a tidy bow. However, it does drive home the point that friends come and go, but the memories of their adventures will always warm your heart. And there are new friends to be made.
Quinn is in a place of finding her resilience. She is not always very transparent about her feelings, so it can be hard to tell. Nevertheless, while reading this book, she would mention that a part was sad and she would want to chat about it(isn't it sad that this happened or that he does is that way, etc.). She would then be ready move on and hear more and continue the book. And clearly she rated it 4 stars so she liked it.
Somehow I think it was harder for me. Can't Celeste be safe and cozy for just a little while?!? Maybe I need to work on my resilience? :-) If you do read this to your little one, be prepared for the way Mr. Audubon does his bird paintings because that is factual and was alarming to me. I did not know that part of his autobiography.
If you are looking for a natural adventure that isn't tugging so hard on your heart strings, I would say read The Night Fairy instead. If you are looking for something that is a mix of the dangers of being a small animal, sweet friendships and small joys, how art is subjective in many ways...give this a try. Probably two stars from me.
-- review by Quinn, 6.75 years old
My review:
The real world is hard and maybe that is why I prefer fantasy. I had a hard time with this book...it made me think of Charlotte's Web. Let me start by saying that our heroine lives in the end. But through the book we encounter many highs and lows of this sweet mouse. She is bullied by rats, nearly drowned in a thunderstorm, almost killed by a cat, but her bully meets that fate instead, and witnesses birds being shot or one who dies in captivity at the hands of Mr. Audubon who likes to pose his subjects utilizing rigor mortis or pins.
It sounds awful, right? At the same time, there are wonderful creatures that Celeste meets on her adventures and many ways that we see friendship and love at work. She uses lots of ingenuity in challenging situations and I loved her basket making skills. We also see how this little mouse could be a part of changing how Mr. Audubon created his art without harming the birds.
I wasn't so happy with the ending as it felt a bit punted where this bird just shows up right at the end and makes a tidy bow. However, it does drive home the point that friends come and go, but the memories of their adventures will always warm your heart. And there are new friends to be made.
Quinn is in a place of finding her resilience. She is not always very transparent about her feelings, so it can be hard to tell. Nevertheless, while reading this book, she would mention that a part was sad and she would want to chat about it(isn't it sad that this happened or that he does is that way, etc.). She would then be ready move on and hear more and continue the book. And clearly she rated it 4 stars so she liked it.
Somehow I think it was harder for me. Can't Celeste be safe and cozy for just a little while?!? Maybe I need to work on my resilience? :-) If you do read this to your little one, be prepared for the way Mr. Audubon does his bird paintings because that is factual and was alarming to me. I did not know that part of his autobiography.
If you are looking for a natural adventure that isn't tugging so hard on your heart strings, I would say read The Night Fairy instead. If you are looking for something that is a mix of the dangers of being a small animal, sweet friendships and small joys, how art is subjective in many ways...give this a try. Probably two stars from me.
spinningwheeler's review against another edition
4.0
Katie and I read this book aloud together. The pictures are delightful and it made a perfect transition from picture books to beginner novels. Truly an enjoyable read with my little one in tow. If I had read it by myself, I probably would have found it a bit dull, but it was perfect for Katie and I.
danicamidlil's review against another edition
3.0
I took the time to read through several others' reviews of this book before writing one of my own. Many really liked the book and just as many really didn't, which is interesting all by itself. I also gained a topic from one review for a master's thesis if I ever need to write one: Mice in Children's Literature.
I'm a fan of mouse books as I've said in previous reviews. They can portray the tiny unknown observer of our lives so perfectly, complete with big ears and fuzzy little bodies. How endearing. Except endearing things have a built-in expiration date that changes as our culture changes. Recently, it has advanced. I'd guess that mouse stories currently expire around second grade and don't come alive for reader's again until college (if they are lucky like I was, to take a Children's Literature class at that time to reissue permission to visit the children's section of the library!) or parenthood. I would put down money on a bet that a fourth grade boy is not going to touch a book with a charming and cozy mouse on the cover, yet that is the age some reviewers have suggested this book for! No doubt this age recommendation is due to the slightly unexpected level of violence that blasts onto the scene in what appears to be a MOUSE book!
My question is: Who is this book for? It seems entirely too graphic for those who will pick it up, but also entirely too "cutesy" or "babyish" for those who would be prepared to read about "putrefying carcasses" and main characters getting shot in the Head! Who is the intended audience here?
I'm a fan of mouse books as I've said in previous reviews. They can portray the tiny unknown observer of our lives so perfectly, complete with big ears and fuzzy little bodies. How endearing. Except endearing things have a built-in expiration date that changes as our culture changes. Recently, it has advanced. I'd guess that mouse stories currently expire around second grade and don't come alive for reader's again until college (if they are lucky like I was, to take a Children's Literature class at that time to reissue permission to visit the children's section of the library!) or parenthood. I would put down money on a bet that a fourth grade boy is not going to touch a book with a charming and cozy mouse on the cover, yet that is the age some reviewers have suggested this book for! No doubt this age recommendation is due to the slightly unexpected level of violence that blasts onto the scene in what appears to be a MOUSE book!
My question is: Who is this book for? It seems entirely too graphic for those who will pick it up, but also entirely too "cutesy" or "babyish" for those who would be prepared to read about "putrefying carcasses" and main characters getting shot in the Head! Who is the intended audience here?
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
RATING: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)
For a person who gives the death glare to mice in real life, I love stories about mice! First of all, I loved the pencil sketches in this book. I went through the book just admiring those at first. A Nest for Celeste is a historical fiction novel with real life characters of John James Audubon and his assistant, Joseph. I enjoyed the story and loved that it had some historical aspects to it other than just set in a different time period. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!
(Review Not on Blog)
For a person who gives the death glare to mice in real life, I love stories about mice! First of all, I loved the pencil sketches in this book. I went through the book just admiring those at first. A Nest for Celeste is a historical fiction novel with real life characters of John James Audubon and his assistant, Joseph. I enjoyed the story and loved that it had some historical aspects to it other than just set in a different time period. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!