In early April, two weeks after New York went into lockdown, a pigeon landed on my terrace. This is not news. New York is known for its abundance of pigeons, and this was not the first avian interloper to squat on my property. But this particular pigeon, which my daughter lovingly named Pidgy—was not your average bird.
Meet Pidgy
As you can see, Pidgy had one leg protruding from her back. This caused her to topple over in strong winds, and when fighting off the advances of some of the pushier male pigeons. Naturally, my heart ached for her. She seemed so vulnerable, and so alone. So, I did something that no self-respecting New Yorker would ever do. I fed her.
Pidgy: Family Member… and Social Media Star
It didn’t take long for Pidgy to make herself at home. I assumed she was only in it for the birdseed, but it soon became apparent that Pidgy wasn’t your typical feathered freeloader. Before long, she was spending her days on our terrace, camped out in the shade of a willow tree or perched precariously on the picnic table. When she wanted to be fed, she cooed. Sometimes, she cooed for no reason. I think it was her way of saying, “Thanks for taking me under your wing!”
Truth be told, I was the grateful one. Pidgy was more than a foster bird. She was a bright light in the dark days of quarantine, sitting by my side while I worked on my manuscript, wrote in my journal, or read a book. She sat with my husband, too, and with our daughter and her boyfriend, when they came home from college. Everyone loved Pidgy. My daughter loved her so much, she started an Instagram account for her.
Bye, Bye Birdie
Two months and five bags of Wagner’s Classic Bird Seed later, Pidgy flew the coop. My husband is convinced that she built a nest in Carl Schurz Park and is now sitting on her eggs. I hope he’s right. I would love nothing more than to be reunited with Pidgy someday, and to meet her babies. In the meantime, I will console myself with some wonderful children’s books about birds. Oh, and Pidgy, if you’re reading this…?
This one’s for you.
10 Children’s Books About Birds
Coo by Kaela Noel
Ten years ago, an impossible thing happened: a flock of pigeons picked up a human baby who had been abandoned in an empty lot and carried her, bundled in blankets, to their roof. Coo has lived her entire life on the rooftop with the pigeons who saved her. It’s the only home she’s ever known. But then a hungry hawk nearly kills Burr, the pigeon she loves most, and leaves him gravely hurt.
Coo must make a perilous trip to the ground for the first time to find Tully, a retired postal worker who occasionally feeds Coo’s flock, and who can heal injured birds. Tully mends Burr’s broken wing and coaxes Coo from her isolated life. Living with Tully, Coo experiences warmth, safety, and human relationships for the first time. But just as Coo is beginning to blossom, she learns the human world is infinitely more complex―and cruel―than she could have imagined.
Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers by Celia C. Pérez
When three very different girls—Ofelia, a budding journalist; Aster, a bookish foodie; and Cat, a rule-following birdwatcher—find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. But when they meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti, it isn’t love at first sight. Still, they soon bond over a shared mission to get the Floras, their local Scouts, to ditch an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn’t know they needed: sisterhood.
Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis
Eleven-year-old December knows everything about birds, and everything about getting kicked out of foster homes. All she has of her mom is the bird guide she left behind, and a message: “In flight is where you’ll find me.” December believes she’s truly a bird, just waiting for the day she transforms. The scar on her back is where her wings will sprout; she only needs to find the right tree and practice flying.
When she’s placed with foster mom Eleanor, who runs a taxidermy business and volunteers at a wildlife rescue, December begins to see what home means in a new light. But the story she’s told herself about her past is what’s kept her going this long. How can she learn to let go?
The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla
Charlie wishes his life could be as predictable and simple as chicken nuggets. Usually, it is. He has his clean room, his carefully organized bird books and art supplies, his favorite foods, and comfortable routines. But life has been unraveling since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. And when Dad gets sent across country for medical treatment, Charlie must reluctantly travel to meet him—along with his boy-crazy sister, unruly twin brothers, and a mysterious new family friend at the wheel.
So, Charlie decides to try and spot all the birds that he and his dad had been hoping to see together in the wild. If he can complete the Someday Birds list for Dad, then maybe things will turn out okay.
Preaching to the Chickens: A Story of Young John Lewis by Jabari Asim, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
John wants to be a preacher when he grows up—a leader whose words stir hearts to change, minds to think, and bodies to take action. But why wait? When John is put in charge of the family farm’s flock of chickens, he discovers that they make a wonderful congregation. So he preaches to his flock, and they listen, content under his watchful care, riveted by the rhythm of his voice.
Celebrating ingenuity and dreaming big, this inspirational story includes an author’s note about the late Georgia congressman John Lewis, who grew up to be a member of the Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and demonstrator on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Congressman Lewis’s book, March: Book Three won the National Book Award, as well as the American Library Association’s Coretta Scott King Author Award, Printz Award, and Sibert Award.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. As she grows up, Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but she never feels quite comfortable speaking with people. So, when when Ani’s mother sends her away to be married in a foreign land, she finds herself at the mercy of her silver-tongued lady in waiting, who leads a mutiny that leaves her alone, destitute, and fleeing for her life. To survive, Ani takes on work as a royal goose girl, hiding in plain sight while she develops her forbidden talents and works to discover her own true, powerful voice.
The Last Firehawk: The Silver Swamp by Katrina Chapman
Blaze has been captured by giant birds! Tag and Skyla set off through the Cloud Kingdom to find her, using only their magical map as a guide. They must travel through the dangerous Silver Swamp, where threats are lurking around every corner. Will they be able to rescue Blaze? And will these friends get one step closer to discovering Blaze’s family of lost firehawks? A great introduction to fantasy and quest stories for younger readers.
The Capture by Kathryn Lasky
Pushed from his family’s nest by his older brother, barn owl Soren is rescued from certain death on the forest floor by agents from a mysterious school for orphaned owls, St. Aggie’s. With a new friend, clever and scrappy Gylfie, he uncovers a training camp for the leader’s own nefarious goal.
The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davis, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
James Audubon was a boy who loved the out-of-doors more than the in. He was a boy who believed in studying birds in nature, not just from books. And, in the fall of 1804, he was a boy determined to learn if the small birds nesting near his Pennsylvania home really would return the following spring. This book reveals how the youthful Audubon pioneered a technique essential to our understanding of birds. Capturing the early passion of America’s greatest painter of birds, this story will leave young readers listening intently for the call of birds large and small near their own homes.
And finally, the most pigeon-y of all bird books…
Moe Willems’s Pigeon series, including the Caldecott Honor book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
When the Bus Driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place—a pigeon! But you’ve never met a pigeon like this one before. As The Pigeon pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book, readers answer back and decide his fate.
For more books about birds, including Carl Hiaasen’s Newbery Honor Book, Hoot, don’t miss this post from the Mixed-Up archives!
Like many modern friendships, mine with author Sandy Stark-McGinnis began on Twitter. The date was June 4, 2017, and Sandy was about to go on sub for her debut novel, EXTRAORDINARY BIRDS (Bloomsbury, 2019). We shared an agent at the time, and Sandy asked if I could share my insights into the submission process.
