During the Portuguese Inquisition a boy and his family are forced to hide their Jewish identities from the outside world until a secret message sets them on a course to freedom in this illustrated historical fiction beginner chapter book.

A lush companion to The Nest That Wren Built brings to light the habits of a secretive creature with lifelike illustrations and a lyrical, informative text. Resourceful Beaver and his family work every day to build the perfect lodge in the stream, made of branches from the shore willow and silty mud from the streambed. Secure and safe from the elements and all the forest animals who come by, the beavers sleep, play, and grow inside the dam. But come springtime's flood, this family of beavers will move on, leaving behind the remains of the lodge that Beaver built. Gently scientific and accessible, with soft, glowing illustrations from award-winning artist Anne Hunter, this lilting, poetic companion to The Nest That Wren Built introduces young children to the engineering feat of dam-building and the life cycle of beaver families. Budding nature lovers can explore more beaver facts, a glossary, and a list of suggested resources in the back matter.

Nature lovers and poetry fans alike will be drawn to this lyrical picture book depicting how Carolina wrens build a nest for their young. This is the bark, snippets of twine, spidery rootlets, and needles of pine that shape the nest that Wren built. In the rhyming style of "The House That Jack Built," this poem about the care and specificity that Carolina wrens put into building a nest is at once tender and true to life. Papa and Mama Wren gather treasures of the forest, from soft moss for a lining to snakeskin for warding off predators. Randi Sonenshine's lilting stanzas, woven with accurate and unexpected details about Carolina wrens, and Anne Hunter's gentle, inviting illustrations reveal the mysterious lives of these birds and impart an appreciation for the wonder of the life cycles around us. Back matter includes a glossary and additional interesting facts about wrens.