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PIGEON AND PIGEONETTE by Dirk Derom

PIGEON AND PIGEONETTE

by Dirk Derom and illustrated by Sarah Verroken

Pub Date: Oct. 15th, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59270-087-5
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books

Two lonely misfits find refuge with each other in this offbeat tale. As the other birds migrate in the winter, little, stubby-winged Pigeonette is left behind. Unable to fly, she trudges through the snow and hears the crash and thump of visually impaired Pigeon when the mighty bird bangs into a powerful oak. Pigeonette leads her newfound companion to her favorite tree, “the tallest in the forest and really close to the sky.” Together the pair struggles to soar. Verroken’s rich, boldly colored woodblock prints provide an appropriately outdoorsy, textured feel. The birds’ unusual appearances highlight their unique personalities: In his oversized undershirt, mighty yellow Pigeon towers over the minute, blue Pigeonette. With their black boots and outstretched wings, the loving duo enlivens each speckled spread. Playing with perspective and size, curved lines support the warm interactions. While the rushed introduction of a wise old pigeon smacks of deus ex machina and some of the phrasing is peculiar (at the end, the two head south “to warmer toes”), overall, this quirky tale will beguile. (Picture book. 4-7)