A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home (Nest for Celeste, 1)

This is a story of friendships. Celeste is a mouse who lives in a house where John Audubon is visiting in order to paint the birds of the New Orleans region. Celeste has been happily living under the floor, but when rats Illianna and Trixie come around, they torment Celeste by making fun of her

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basket making and demanding she give them food. In Celeste's hesitation to go into the dining room, the two push her out of the way and take off, but they didn't see the cat lounging in a chair, and it is the end of Illianna. Now the cat knows where they hide and guards the hole. Celeste goes out for food and must get a new home. She climbs up a rail and finds a boot as a new home. That doesn't last long as it is the boot of Audubon's assistant Joesph. When Joesph finds her, he carries her around in his pocket and she is his new friend. Both are disturbed that Audubon seems to be ok with killing the birds he needs then repositioning them to paint them. (A few may be bothered by this, but it is what happened, and most kids will focus more on Celeste and her friendships then the unnecessary death of animals.) Joesph even gets grazed by a bullet during a hunting trip. Celeste helps the live birds pose and provide artist with inspiration. When Celeste goes outside to get some dogwood berries for the wood thrush Cornelius, Celeste gets caught up in a storm. Lafayette, an osprey, takes her back home. When he is caught, she also helps him by showing him how to pose for the painting. Celeste ventures out and must find another new home due to the cat. She goes to the attic and lives in a doll house that she thinks is perfect for her. Trixie shows up again and insists that Lafayette take her on a ride. That doesn't end well. Finally Celeste watches Audubon and Joseph leave while she is still in the attic home. She couldn't make it back to Joseph and he is sad to leave without her. But Violet, a friend of Cornelius comes to visit and Celeste knows that friends are worth having even if they must leave us.

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Celeste the mouse lives all by herself under the floorboards of the dinning room. She didn’t mind living in the dark but she did mind the 2 rats – Illiana and Trixie. They bully her into venturing out to get them some food and Celeste has a narrow escape from the cat. She can’t get back to

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her home so is forced to find a new one and ends up with a new friend as well – Joseph – apprentice to the great bird painter Henry Audubon. By the end of the summer she has had some exciting adventures and learnt more about friendship.
This is a beautiful story which is made even more special by the many, exquisite pencil drawings. Recommended for ages 8 and up although younger children would probably enjoy this as a read-aloud.

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This is a sweet story about a mouse who longs to find a nest she can call home. The illustrations in this book are wonderful and really bring the characters to life. This story is also about Audubon and his assistant Joseph. The story takes place in 1821 on a Louisiana plantation where Audubon

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spent several months collecting and drawing birds. I never realized before that Audubon killed almost every bird he drew so that he could pin it in the position he wanted to draw it! Joseph is disgusted with this method and with Celeste they try to change Audubon's mind. I think this book is best for read alouds or for early readers.

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As a small, basket weaving mouse, Celeste lives in a hole in the wall of a large plantation house, spending her time collecting food, weaving and serving two bullying rats. An attack by the household cat results in Celeste’s separation from her two “friends” (if you can call them that).

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Celeste welcomes her new-found freedom but is unsure what to do when she discovers the cat is guarding the entrance to her home. She decides to journey upstairs where she becomes friends with visiting artist John Audubon’s (1785-1851) apprentice Joseph Mason.

I liked this book because it uses descriptive language and is about art with most pages having beautiful pencil sketches. I recommend this book for everyone who likes a happy ending and a bit of adventure.

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The pen and ink illustrations that fill this book are lovely and truly add to the experience of reading the book. The story could use a little beefing up -- it's pleasant, but doesn't particularly capture the reader's attention. It's about a mouse who lives in a plantation where James Audobon

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visits and paints some of the native birds. Audobon comes across as a rather rude man, but his assistant befriends Celeste, the mouse.

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I loved this book! It was so wonderful.

This is a wonderful tale about a mouse that has to find a home for herself when she is forced to leave the one she has. On her journey to finding a new home she meets new friends and looses a few of those along the way. There are some very colorful characters in this story including the boy Joseph.

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Joseph is the assistant to John James Audubon. Henry Cole does a fantastic job in describing what little Celeste the mouse experiences and how she helps Joseph and Mr. Audubon in there collection of bird subjects and paintings,

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Great illustrations and a wonderful story with a charming, intrepid mouse at its center.

A whimsical and charming book. The story isn't all that strong, but it's strongly supported by the author's illustrations.

My one qualm about this book, if used in schools and especially with any African-American children, is that it's set in an antebellum Louisiana plantation with no reference to

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Black slaves. Now, of course, this isn't the purpose of Cole's book, which is simply a charming animal story, but somehow I have a discomfort that this story might too idealize antebellum life in the Big House.

For this reason, take some caution with using it with school children, at least unless the teaching includes some explanation of life on antebellum plantations.

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A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole. Celeste is a sweet, hard working - and scared little mouse until one day a young man befriends her. Celeste learns to trust and love and is a delight. Her friend is an assistant of James Audubon, the gifted artist of birds. This is a chapter book mix of fantasy and

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historical fiction (1800s) that is entertaining and delightful. FYI; Audubon almost always shot and killed the birds he painted which is referred to in the book a few times. The soft, charcoal illustrations by Cole are warm and cute, a real plus.

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Illustrations are wonderful and Celeste's story is sweet but the dead birds will not be accepted by today's children.

Fans of "A Cricket in Times Square," "Charlotte's Web" and the ilk will enjoy this story of Celeste, a thoughtful and creative mouse (she weaves baskets for collecting food) who is bullied by two rats who also live in the same plantation house. She also has the family cat to contend with. John

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Audubon and his young assistant Joseph are special house guests. While the two are in the area to draw and paint nature, Celeste ends up being befriended by Joseph when her home in the wall is boarded up. Timid by nature, this change in her life routine broadens her horizons and courage as she meets friendly birds, explores the outside and finds the meaning of friendship and home. A pleasant read-aloud for families with dozens of illustrations for young eyes to gaze upon while listening. Lib notes: Sensitive children may be disturbed by scenes of rats meeting their demise, birds being hunted with guns, and John Audubon sketching from dead specimens.

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