WINGED HEROES

Do pigeons have superpowers?

In this lighthearted graphic adventure, Emilio is a born-and-raised New York City pigeon who spends his days scavenging human food with friends Winslow, a sparrow, and Carmen, a starling. Emilio loves the comic book Winged Heroes, lionizing the superhero raptors within its pages. In reality, the birds of prey that he idolizes see him as food, and when one of his romantic ideas takes him and his friends far from the safety of their roost, he sees the truth of the pecking order. A storm then blows the bird friends off into the countryside, leaving these city birds stranded. Soon Emilio learns that he may just have his own superpowers that will enable him to save Carmen and Winslow—and that there may be some truth to the Winged Heroes after all. Author Thompson has penned an engaging romp that slyly mixes bird facts into its fast-paced plot, showing readers the fascinating abilities many common birds possess. A mix of both narrative and nonfiction, this genre-busting full-color graphic novel works equally well as a pleasure read and in classroom settings, and it’s a must-have for fans of First Second’s Science Comics series. The majority of characters are avian, but the background human characters are racially diverse. Aftermatter includes a note on page navigation, discussion questions, and bird photographs and facts.

A fun romp for aspiring ornithologists.