Architecture According to Pigeons

Gr 3–6—Who would have thought that pigeons have "a deep and abiding passion for architecture"? Tailfeather, who narrates this tour of world buildings and other structures, is well aware that humans view his kind with disgust, so he's on a mission to educate them not only about architecture, but also about pigeon intelligence. His journey includes familiar structures, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramid of Giza as well as some lesser-known structures like the Church of the Light in Ibaraki, Japan. The bird always shares each building's pigeon name as well as its human appellation; for example, the Sydney Opera House is known to our feathered friends as Hungry Beaks Hall. His tour also includes bridges and the cities of Venice and Brasilia. While most of the structures are in Europe or the U.S., a smattering come from Asia, Africa, and South America. The locations of each are pinpointed on a map on the endpapers, and the last two spreads have additional information about the architects. All measurements listed are metric. The bird's irreverent voice makes him a charming narrator and lightens the tone; he often makes comments such as "Wowza!" or "I couldn't believe my beady blinkers!" The collage-style illustrations generally do a good job of capturing the overall look of the buildings, though occasionally the scale can be unclear. For students who need more information about architectural movements, Christine Paxmann's From Mud Huts to Skyscrapers (Prestel, 2013) would be a good choice.—Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR