HESTERMAN, Katie. A Round of Robins. illus. by Sergio Ruzzier. 40p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. Mar. 2018. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780399547782.

PreS-Gr 1 –Beginning with the first poem that proclaims (with some foreshadowing) “We’ll raise a brood, and when we’re done,/We just might hatch another one,” 16 poems give readers a glimpse of stages in a robin’s life, from mama robin laying four eggs to grown up birdies leaving the nest. Hesterman fills her jaunty rhyming verses with numerous puns and alliterations, while conjuring up sweet yet mostly factual vignettes of the birds’ journey to maturity. Ruzzier’s cartoon illustrations capture these scenes of avian domesticity with just the right mix of humor and warmth, hilariously expressive feathered protagonists (and their grumpy neighbors) inhabiting his slightly fantastical idiosyncratic flora, all colored in ethereal watercolor washes. VERDICT An utterly charming choice for most collections, perfect for one-on-one and small group ­sharing.–­Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, ­formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

This review was published in the School Library Journal April 2018 issue.