Storybook Sunday... SEVEN: A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON by Sandra Nickel, Illustrated by Aimée Sicuro - REVIEW!

We're celebrating another day of bookish fun with Storybook Sunday! For those not up to speed on the post, I read a lot of great storybooks and thought, why not give them their own day in the sun. Hence, Storybook Sunday appears every now and then!

Today's featured title celebrates its BOOK BIRTHDAY this Tuesday via Candlewick Press and arrived on my radar thanks to Blue Slip Media.  It's the perfect selection for Pigeon Appreciation Day this June (learn more about that celebration here, WildCare and BirdTipper.com), and stars a remarkable pigeon that learns the best thing to be is truly yourself.  So, if you're ready, let's set our sights on the skies as we wing between the epages of today's book of choice...

Seven: A Most Remarkable Pigeon

by

Sandra Nickel

Illustrated by

Aimée Sicuro

Candlewick Press

RELEASE DATE:  May 6, 2025

Seven was an only pigeon hatched by two loving parents.  He was already unique from the word go because normally they are born in twos, but his parents saw him, and themselves, as lucky and named him after the furthest distance his kind had ever flown to return home.  Seven enjoyed the life of a pigeon, seeing the sights, feeling the breeze, sampling the air, AND smelling the smells.  Oh yes, he loved nothing more than to be led by his nose, and revealed in adding fragrant petals to his nest, or snagging rice on the hidden streets in town.  All the while, his parents were trying to get him to understand the ways of being a pigeon...stay with the flock, build with twigs and straw, and find home visually with the mental map in his head.  He wanted to make them proud, so he tried his best to be the best pigeon that ever flew and follow the status quo...until one day, his particular skill set is exactly what the flock ordered.

I loved the illustrations in this one.  It brings the town, and countryside to life, while making us a temporary part of this pigeon family as we learn their ways, and become a part of the flock.  Watching Seven grow from hatch-ling to his own pigeon was heartwarming, and seeing him be appreciated for being himself was inspiring.  We all want to be a part of something, but we also want to be accepted for who we truly are, and the best way for that to happen is by being ourselves.  Seven shows readers that in a really big way, and when all is said and done, he teaches his flock a thing or two as well!

A great pick for readers of all ages, and a wonderful reminder that it takes all kinds/types to make this world go round.

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About the author...

Sandra Nickel is an award-winning author of picture books and has two new books coming out in Spring 2025: Seven, A Most Remarkable Pigeon, an uplifting tale that celebrates differences, and Making Light Bloom, Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps, where Sandra continues her mission to celebrate extraordinary individuals who have been nearly forgotten by history.

Sandra holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and has presented workshops throughout Europe and the United States. She is honored to be the winner of a Christopher Award, the winner of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Crystal Kite Award, a finalist for the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Younger Readers, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection honoree, and a Charlotte Huck Award Recommended author. To learn more about Sandra, and to download free curriculum materials and activity sheets, visit sandranickel.com.

INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TWITTER

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About the illustrator...

Aimée Sicuro is the illustrator of many books for kids. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Parents magazine, and many other publications. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children. To learn more, visit aimeesicuro.com.

INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to the dream team at Blue Slip Media for the chance to bring this title to you and to the publisher for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, illustrator, or publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

About Hummingbirds by Cathryn Sill

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers…the place that LOVES books at least as much if not more than you.  ^_^  Hey, it’s that mutual love of reading that brings us together so why NOT celebrate it, right?  

Today, we are partying hard with the written word in a different way…and despite the fact that ‘New Moon’ is on TV right now and totally trying to distract me after a long day back at job one, I’m going to share it with all of you.  (*must not watch shiny vampires*)  It’s a Children’s Storybook that falls in the educational category from the great folks over at Peachtree Publishers (thanks guys!) and written by an author that’s known for her work within this genre.  It’s remarkable insight is only complimented by the illustrations found within and with that intro I give you today’s book of choice…

About Hummingbirds:

A Guide for Children

By

Cathryn Sill

Illustrated by

John Sill

As I said, the remarkable part of this book is not merely in the information it imparts, though that IS plentiful, but in the illustrations.  Each two page spread contains a fact on one side and a full page, full color, detailed as if it was a photograph picture on the other.  It’s extraordinary.  For me, it felt like I had a front row seat to a window box that allowed an unobstructed view into nature’s wonderland.  If you’re a bird watcher, this will be right up your ally; if not, I can’t imagine someone not appreciating the beauty presented.  But, if you find yourself in that smaller camp, there is another aspect of the book to marvel at…the cold hard facts, presented in a not-so-cold but still absolute way.

Though each page only contains one fact on the given hummingbird pictured, the final pages fill in the blanks.  The last six pages offer a few more choice details on each depicted flying friend along with a glossary, suggested reading and even a few websites to check out to further the learning adventure.  Pretty cool, right?  I thought so…and I think younger ones curious about nature (or even older readers that simply love to admire the beauty a printed book can offer) will too.  This book is about of the ‘About…” series available through Peachtree Publishers, be sure to check out the full line as they cover everything from fish to penguins, insects to reptiles and a whole lot more.  Animals not your thing?  No worries!  Check out the ‘About Habitats’ series to learn more about the landscapes that surround you.

Review copy received courtesy of Peachtree Publishers.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their full catalog, be sure to check out their website, catch up on their blog, like them on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter.

Until next time…happy reading!