For Laura Nyman Montenegro, the seeds for A Poet's Bird Garden lie in an early experience. "As a child, I loved to stand in front of Vincent van Gogh's painting The Poet's Garden at the art museum and drink in the wild beauty of his serene garden," she says. Ms. Montenegro is the creator of A Bird About to Sing, as well as several other picture books for children. She lives with her family in Evanston, Illinois, where she creates and performs with Zbunko! Puppet Theatre and teaches classes in picture book making.

When Natalie's pet bird, Chirpie, gets out, there's only one thing to do: call the poets! Priyanka, Vincent, Lily, Pendleton, and Marion soon arrive, full of suggestions about how to lure Chirpie down from the tree where she's perched. Priyanka thinks Natalie should stand still like a statue. Vincent suggests that she wiggle like a worm. Then Marion comes up with a grand and wonderful plan, one that Chirpie surely cannot resist. Natalie and the poets work together to put this plan into action, but is it enough? Will Chirpie come down?