Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Leisurely small-town comedy of homing pigeon on the lam.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Mr. Mineo, who lives in a rusted trailer by the lake in sleepy Meadville, SC, and runs the local bait shop, took in his brother's homing pigeons when the brother went to live in a nursing home. Everything's fine until one day Sherman, a one-legged bird who's a bit full of himself, doesn't come home from the daily flight. Before the tale winds to its happy conclusion, Sherman and his new friend, the little brown dog, are being pursued not just by Mr. Mineo but also by assorted kids and adults determined to capture the bird -- not to mention some hungry cats bent on having pigeon for lunch.
Is It Any Good?
The leisurely, repetitious pacing of the narrative lends itself to being read aloud and serves to keep young readers well grounded in the story, but may be too slow for those who prefer fast action. The plight of some of the characters -- Stella, who's given up hope of persuading her parents to let her have a dog, but now dreams of capturing Sherman; her wimpy friend Gerald, frequent recipient of the Knuckle of Death from Stella's brother Levi and his gang of bullies; Mutt, from the wrong side of the tracks, who's got such a reputation as a liar that no one believes him when he tells the truth -- will strike a sympathetic chord with many kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why stories about kids and animals are so appealing. What do you think makes a good animal story? What are your favorite books or movies featuring animals or birds?
Stella and Gerald have a lot of trouble with bullying and taunting from Stella's older brother and his friends. Have you had this experience? How did you deal with it?
How does Sherman's adventure wind up making things better for just about all the characters in the story?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Animals
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Animals , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : October 2, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 192
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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