This is a quick story, with large pictures and few words. When Swanda moves to New York City, she misses the animals. When she sees the pigeons on the roof and fire escape, she decides to feed them. As anyone knows, when you feed pigeons, more arrive until the neighbours are very upset with her. They are tired of stepping in pigeon poop. Everyone shouts to her, "Stop feedin' da boids!" Of course Swanda does and the birds leave, but she is not happy with no animals. Then she sees fish in the pet shop window. This is a cute enough book. The pictures of the pigeons close-up are wonderful. The neighbours are also very well depicted. There is not much to the story but many people will be able to relate to this story as there are pigeons in more cities than just New York. The publisher generously gave me a copy of this book via Netgalley.
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Written for young children who love their pets, Sage’s story is a fun addition to any classroom library. The theme of the book is finding a piece of home in a new place. Swanda moves from her rural home to Brooklyn, New York and misses the wild animals that had been in her life. She comes across birds flying around her apartment building and decides to feed them, to the chagrin of her boisterous neighbors. Different characters are introduced to tell Swanda that what she is doing is not a good idea and she is sent to talk to several bird experts around the city to learn what to do about the pigeons. Swanda’s neighbors are fed up with all the noise the pigeons make and eventually, they all yell in a thick New York accent: “Stop feedin’ da boids!”. Swanda then has to settle on some fish in a big tank, but is looking perhaps a little too fondly at the variety of marine life in the city aquarium she visits at the end. Pratt’s illustrations create a bright picture of everyday life in Brooklyn with multicultural faces. His illustrations take you on a walk through different shops and apartments around Swanda’s block to contribute to the mood of adjusting to a big new place. This book will engage young children for independent and whole-group reading.
BIBLIO: 2017, Kids Can Press, Ages 5 to 6, $10.49.
REVIEWER: Lee Anna Dickerson
FORMAT: Emergent Reader
ISBN: 1771386134
ISBN: 978-1771386135