SEVEN: A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON Whose Story Inspires

 That's right, I'm sharing another bird book. Trust me, I realize there are probably more than enough posts about birds books on this blog (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE...  you see what I mean?) But don't expect me to change. First, birds will always hold a special place in my heart. That must be true for many, since there's no shortage of books of every kind for every age that feature birds in fact, fiction, and with a blend of those approaches. 

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2025

That blend is what propels my thoughts about  SEVEN, A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON onto yet another post. I read this lovely, heartwarming, and entertaining book by author Sandra Nickel and illustrated by Aimeé Sicuro multiple times. I usually do that, but in this case I pursued even more repeated readings. Because i have a broad knowledge base about birds, I saw countless facts about pigeons within  a story that was clearly fictional. I had a concern that young readers might come away with confusions about what was real and what was made up. The author's note did a fine job of pointing out the factual details, and yet the storytelling was so nearly-magical that I wanted to feel confident that the account was not misleading.

In brief, the story features a singleton hatchling pigeon  in a nest that almost always holds two eggs. Parent pigeons DO tend faithfully to the young, they DO urge flocking and close contact with other pigeons, they DO work with young prior to migration to prepare them for successful travel. This little loner was named SEVEN because pigeons consider seven a lucky name (obviously storytelling) but this tidbit is used as a device to share the fact that SEVEN thousand miles is the longest recorded route a pigeon has return to its home. Seven, the pigeon, has a remarkable sense of smell, particular preferences, and doesn't mind going its own way. 

The story allows SEVEN to rise to the hero role due to environmental circumstances paired with its own warmly-embraced talents, despite outside pressures. The story itself incorporates facts within a delightful and charming account of a character that encourages independence and individuality, that appreciates differences, that celebrates multiple ways to solve problems, and that encourages empathy and acceptance. The illustrations allow readers to enjoy both a fictionalized, semi-personified pigeon while viewing information about pigeons through visual narrative and scenes. 

SEVEN will work well for many ages, with multiple layers about science, group dynamics, individual identity and development, and patterns of the environment and nature. Pigeons are the urban birds that young people are most likely to interact with, and that's because they are versions of domesticated birds that are now considered wild but deeply adjusted to (and sometimes dependent on) human interaction. This book is a way to make pigeon science and their specialized talents more available to young readers. It also invites discussions about individual differences and respect for those differences. That's a lovely combination.

If you'd like to see an example of how that can help or hurt the survival of pigeons, here's an interesting video you might want to watch. It's on YOUTUBE and  begins with a short ad, but it called to mind the power of human support for our natural friends. HERE's the video. I want to be sure that viewers know this should not be attempted on your own, and certainly not by children. It can be a skill developed with support from trained wildlife rescuers. The trust and experience of this individual are impressive and worth learning about, IMO.