The bowerbird by Julia Donaldson and Catherine Rayner

A male bowerbird builds his structure hoping to attract a mate with his skills at construction and the things he places in front. Today he has a lovely purple flower, but the passing female bird says that it is not enough.

Bert flies away to find something else to please the demanding Nanette. Each time he brings something back to place by his bower she tells him the same thing. And so off he flies again, the list growing:

‘A rose hip, a rusty zip
A pencil, and a paperclip ‘

Rather like the Twelve Days of Christmas, the list gets longer as Bert tries his best to attract Nanette.

Eventually another male bird, Claude, inspects his bower suggesting that the something he needs is nearby and sends Bert off to collect it. When he returns the bird has destroyed his nest taking all his pretty things with him, and Nanette is by his side. Bert has been tricked, but on repairing his bower, with his purple flower still in place, a female bird stops by, admires his purple flower and is happy to stay.

A lovely verse story, children will appreciate the repetition of the lines each bird says and the growing list of things Bert collects for his bower. Predicting the rhyming word will enthuse many readers as they come to grips with rhyming words, while the repeated growing list of things Bert collects will be enthusiastically read together.

Reading this tale out loud is a treat, and younger readers and more skilled readers will appreciate the rhythm and sounds as it is read to them.

Illustrations by Catherine Rayner will delight young readers. Using pencil and dip pen and ink, she experiments with a range of implements to achieve her goal, and on her web site can be found instructions for developing some of the animals she draws: https://www.catherinerayner.co.uk/pages/step-by-step-drawing-guides

I love the dejected look on Bert’s face, trying so hard to attract Nanette, but in the end being duped by her and the heartless Claude. Jean is the most attractive bird he has ever seen and her illustration is wonderful, a sharp contrast to the demanding and snooty Nanette. Information about Donaldson and Rayner can be found on the publication page, and a paragraph about bower birds is also included.

A charming story about striving for a mate, the happiness in achieving that goal and the duplicity of some met along the way will gladden the hearts of younger readers, soaking up the repetition, prediction, humour and all the while sympathising with Bert.

Subtitled, ‘the small bird with the large heart’, children will instantly warm to this little bird, betrayed by some but in the end finding true love.

Themes: Love, Friendship, Betrayal, Tenacity, Competition, Repetition, Verse.

Fran Knight