Author: Andrew McDonald
Illustrator: Ben Wood
© Date: 2018
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 209
Chapters: Yes
Illustrations: Yes, every page has an illustration
Publisher Recommended Age: 8-12 years
Bonus Activities at End of Book: Not really, just information on the types of pigeons that each Real Pigeon is based on, same for the two books that we read
Summary from Book: Real Pigeons aren’t just daring crime fighters. They’re also best friends.
What? You didn’t know that a team of mystery-solving, disguise-wearing birds can also be buds? It’s true. And pigeon friends stick together no matter what—even when they disagree with Grandpouter Pigeon or (yikes!) when there is a criminal ostrich on the loose.
Note: This review is done from memory. I originally read this awhile ago.
Page Pig Thoughts: The concept of this series is fun, but they just didn’t do it for us. I appreciate the teamwork and unique skills of the pigeons, but I just didn’t get into the stories. That being said, I think someone could really get excited about them. Unfortunately, that someone was not either of us.
Family Unit: The Real Pigeons live together with Grand Pouter.
Items of Interest:
- Someone is trapping birds in bottles that they cannot get out of.
- The other pigeons were giving Rock a bad time about his favorite twig that he named Trent. Rock discovers that his twig really can be a secret weapon.
- Struthio Ostrich escapes prison and imprisons the Real Pigeons. Turns out that Grandpouter had a history with Struthio and was the reason that Struthio was sent to jail. The Real Pigeons help recapture Struthio.
- Straw Neck puts a sleeping potion into some breadcrumbs, and pigeons find bread crumbs irresistible. Then Straw Neck drops each Real Pigeon in different locations all over the world.
- Straw Neck then attempts to fight crime all by herself. Unfortunately her solutions do not leave people overly satisfied.
- Mr. Pie is baking birds into pies. Rock and Straw Neck work together to save baby blackbirds from being baked into a pie. Unfortunately Rock is left behind because he was tangled in a rope. Fortunately the Real Pigeons had made it back from their destinations to save Rock, even Straw Neck turns up to help.
- The Real Pigeons made it back to help Rock because Homey is a homing pigeon, so he could find his way to his friends and back home. Rock disguised himself as Homey, so Straw Neck did not put Homey in a cage to be prevented from saving everyone.
- Mr. Pie still manages to get Rock into a pie crust in the oven. When the Real Pigeons and Straw Neck show up, they are reluctant to pull the pie out of the oven. Turns out Rock escaped the oven by going up the chimney. Everyone is thankful that everyone is okay.
- Straw Neck decides that fighting crime is too dangerous, so she will just stick to inventing.
Other Books in Series (At Time of Posting):
- Looks like 12 books are in the Real Pigeon series