Ahmed and the Nest of Sand: A Piping Plover Story

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University. She is the co-author of
Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom.

When Ahmed lived in Kuwait, his family cared for exotic birds. In his
new home, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Ahmed once again has the opportunity
to care for birds. After Iris and Owen visit Ahmed’s classroom and
explain the Piping Plover Guardian Program, Ahmed decides to become a
guardian. During his second weekend at the beach, he is delighted to see
a pair of nesting piping plovers. After a dog nearly reaches the
birds’ nest, Owen talks to Ahmed about the many enemies of piping
plovers. On the third weekend, Ahmed learns that a raccoon has raided
the nest of these endangered birds. But two weeks later, the tiny birds
have nested again and a protective wire cage is placed around the nest.
Over the next four weeks, Ahmed, Iris, and Owen watch over the nest.
Finally, the eggs hatch. The fledglings grow and are able to join other
piping plovers in their August migration.

Readers will learn a great deal about the piping plover in this fine
picture book. The authenticity and accuracy of the story is enhanced by
a description of the author’s and illustrator’s first encounter with
the birds. Jeffrey Domm’s watercolor illustrations are detailed and
complement the story events.

On a double-page spread at the end of the book, information about
piping plovers is organized into sections on history, description,
current threats, and migration. On the final page, readers learn more
about the Piping Plover Guardian Program. Highly recommended.