DAVE PIGEON (TURKEY DINNER!)

Horrid hints that people actually eat birds propel Skipper the pigeon and featherbrained buddy Dave into a desperate rescue mission.

Dave and Skipper, who narrates, are excited to consume some of the “crispy things and roasty things and buttered things and sugared things” dished up amid twinkly lights by the “Human Lady” at her annual winter Big Dinner Day family feast. Imagine their shock when the canary next door informs them that the main course for the upcoming Christmas feast will be…BIRD. Skipper can’t believe it; after all, the Human Lady rescued them. But a wrinkled label pulled from the garbage confirms the horrible truth! The two friends decide to investigate. They’re large of heart if not brain, as demonstrated in six previous adventures. The pair are derailed by an attack from lurking Mean Cat and a robin flitting in from the Scottish Highlands, who hijacks both the story and the frequent speech bubbles that come into play whenever the narrative breaks into full-out cartoon scenes. Their mission quickly devolves into a wacky free-for-all. Goofy, fast-paced banter between Skipper and Dave keeps this buddy comedy moving at a quick clip, even amid the more earnest moments, as the avian crew mulls the horrifying idea that birds could be food. Physical descriptions of humans are minimal.

A chatty romp with a mild message for Christmas Day carnivores.