Dr. Archibald Coo, an erudite big-city pigeon, is tired of the way
people treat him and the other pigeons. They're always being shooed and
swatted, and they're never admired the way the other birds are. As Dr.
Coo tells his pigeon friends: "It wasn't always this way." In ancient
times, pigeons were known to accompany the gods. They brought news of
the Olympic Games to all of ancient Greece. And more recently, they
delivered messages and medicine to soldiers on battlefields. They were
heroes! Surely, Dr. Coo reasons, pigeons can find a way to earn the
admiration of people once again. And he's got just the bold plan to do
it.
Award-winning journalist Sarah Hampson's picture book debut is a
celebration of the diversity inherent in a big city and a lesson on how
looking for the good in others is the best way to get along with them.
Through her activist pigeons, she offers a child-friendly example of how
to affect change, and shows how cooperation and compromise are the keys
for diverse groups to harmoniously coexist --- a topical subject. With
soft lines and a warm palette, Kass Reich's illustrations bring a fresh
pigeon's-eye perspective to New York's inhabitants and cityscapes. This
book could be used to spark classroom discussions on respecting
differences, working out disagreements, or stepping up to counter
injustice, all important subjects for the budding self-awareness and
personal development of young children. It also aligns with character
education lessons on self-respect, initiative and inclusiveness.
