ALA Booklist (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

This companion volume to Mama Built a Little Nest (2014) uses the term den to include animals' homes dug into snowbanks, riverbanks, hillsides, prairies, and deserts, as well as holes dug by sea turtles to protect their eggs and by squirrels to hide their nuts. The opening pages show three little foxes peering out of their shelter, accompanied by the rhyme, "Mama dug a little den / beneath a fallen tree. / An earthy home as soft as moss, / a nursery for three." In smaller type, a brief paragraph talks about foxes' maternity dens. Throughout the book, each double-page spread includes a short verse for young children, with a little information for those who want more. Jenkins' collages offer clear views of animals in their dens. The book's large format offers ample space for the eye-catching double-page illustrations, created with papers that create varied colors and textures within well-crafted scenes. Cross sections are used effectively in the many underground scenes. A good read-aloud choice for preschool and primary-grade classroom units on animal homes.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Ward primarily focuses on mother animals digging holes to protect young, but she also offers other reasons for digging (e.g., squirrel to bury nuts, frog to hibernate). A purposeful rhyming text indicates why or where an animal digs, while a brief paragraph on each spread goes into more detail about each creature. Jenkins adds appeal with his trademark collage illustrations.

Kirkus Reviews

Catchy rhymes describe the cozy spaces 13 animals find, make, and use. In this companion to Mama Built a Little Nest (2014), Ward and Jenkins introduce a variety of animals who dig, scrape, construct, or adopt a cavity for a wide variety of uses. From the red fox who births and raises her kits in a maternity den to the sea turtle who buries her eggs in the sand, the author has chosen interesting, frequently familiar, animals. A beaver builds a lodge to share with an entire family; a polar bear scoops out a cave in the snow for her cubs; prairie dogs construct huge towns of connected burrows; a tarantula lurks inside a hole waiting for prey to pass by; red and gray squirrels dig holes to store nuts in the ground. Each spread shows an appealing creature, often a family, depicted in the illustrator's signature collage style. Smoothly constructed quatrains, usually beginning with the title line, introduce each den. (An author's note points out that she uses the word "Mama" loosely; some dens are constructed by males or by both parents.) On the facing page a short paragraph provides the animal's name and something about the den's use. Finally, the implied reader (only legs and boots are shown) is invited to notice interesting holes: "it will make you wonder / who or what might be inside!"A storytime delight for the nature shelf. (Informational picture book. 4-7)

School Library Journal (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

PreS-Gr 2 In this this follow-up to Mama Built a Little Nest, simple, lyrical text explores all the ways mothers keep their young safe. Each beautiful spread features a four-line ditty that begins with "Mama dug a little den" and is followed with a paragraph of fascinating information on the topic creature. ("Mama dug a little den/Within a bubbling stream./A rugged lodge of sticks and twigs/Where we could grow and dream.") Beavers, platypuses, Gila monsters, and prairie dogs are a few of the critters on display. This versatile book will spark young readers' inquisitiveness and will surely encourage them to be more observant when out in nature. It lends itself well as a read-aloud for very young audiences or as a one-on-one with curious kids who want to know more about each animal. Jenkins's gorgeous collage illustrations are stunning and detailed, and will draw viewers. VERDICT A charming addition to elementary collections where early science books about animals are needed and either Ward's or Jenkins's books are popular. Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn