Dr. Coo and the Pigeon Protest

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.

Author: Sarah Hampson
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Published: 04/03/2018
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 10.00h x 9.10w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781771383615
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2018
School Library Journal 03/01/2018 pg. 84
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2018 pg. 33 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
Sarah Hampson is an award-winning journalist with the Globe and Mail. This is her first foray into the world of writing for children. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Kass Reich worked for three years in Beijing as an early childhood educator --- and that's what inspired her to start making picture books. She now lives in Toronto, Ontario.