Pigeons

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book.
Review: I remember the first time I saw pigeons; I was five years old and had been taken into Washington, D.C. on a field trip. There was a group of them on the sidewalk near the Natural History Museum, strutting around a food cart. I took one look at their iridescent necks, gray and buff bodies, and inquisitive orange eye, and I was hooked. Never mind that the adult who accompanied us sneered, "Oh, they're just vermin." Being a child, I knew better than to listen to someone who was unable to see beauty when it was staring her in the face.

In this book, Ms. Patent gives children a view of pigeons for what they really are, touching on their beauty, their intelligence, and the benefits they have brought to mankind throughout history. The color photographs by William Munos are excellent and complement the text well. The photos appear on almost every page, which makes the book easy to read to children who like visuals during reading time.

Adults can enjoy the book as well. For those of us who love pigeons, it's difficult locating books about them, especially books specifically about rock doves (our feral city pigeons). This book is a great start. Although it's a slim volume, it offers quite a bit of scientifically accurate information.

I now have a pair of pigeons nesting in a double nesting box on the back of my house, plus numerous pigeons visiting my feeding site every day. I never get over my fascination with these gentle, intelligent creatures, who are, by the way, magnificent flyers. This book has helped broaden my knowledge of these wonderful birds.