
A JOURNEY OF COMMITMENT, DISCOVERY Off The Shelf Review by Linda Turk
In a charming story based on her mother’s girlhood rescue of two baby robins, Katherine Inksetter has created a book that captures readers of all ages.
When a cat tips the two baby robins from their nest, young Betty rescues them and protects them from the cat but can’t return them to their nest. In rescuing the pair, she makes herself responsible for their care and spends her summer digging worms to feed the fledglings’ healthy appetites, and even sleeps outdoors to protect them on the first night they venture out alone.
As the birds grow into young adults over the course of a single summer, so does the young girl grow in learning about the inevitability of change. As summer comes to an end, so does the child’s sojourn at camp. With the change in seasons comes a change in circumstances. The birds mature and so does the child, having to accept that the birds are now grown and independent of her.
Inksetter tells the story simply and well, and her illustrations are delightful. The facial expressions of all concerned - the cat, the two little birds and their siblings left in the nest, the child, and her friends - are entirely perfect. The birds look, at times, aghast, disconsolate, glum, and happily surprised by their own first flight.This is a lovely book, and would suit even a very young child, and all adults will appreciate the way it outlines the level of responsibility required in caring for any bird or animal. The little girl, after all, had to dig a thousand worms over the course of the summer in order to feed the little birds.It’s a story of commitment and of discovery, and because this is a first book, we can hope for more in the future from this fledgling author.















