Guest Post by Sandra Nickel

People often ask: “What inspired you to write Seven, A Most Remarkable Pigeon?” The quick answer is, “Pigeons. And also, my daughter.” But there’s more to the story than that.

I was sitting at my desk, thinking about kids who feel different from other kids. Kids like my daughter, Olivia. And, well, like me, when I was her age.

At the same time, I was reading about pigeons. And when I say “reading,” I really mean researching. National Geographic. The New York Times. Papers on ResearchGate. One article led to another and they all added up to a glorious year of learning about pigeons.

One day I read that pigeons are born into the world two at a time. Not one, or three or five. Two. When I read that, I knew I had my story about being different. I thought, What would happen if only ONE egg arrived? That would mean this little pigeon was seen as different from the day he was born.

I also discovered that some scientists believe pigeons find their way home by using their eyes. But other scientists believe they “smell” their way home. I took this split in science and made the flock visually oriented and gave Seven an extraordinary sense of smell. With that, the stage was set.

I then took all those pigeon facts — remember, the ones from the glorious year — and I used them as a template for the story. I placed Seven and his fictional flock in a world that resembles that of real pigeons. This was a unique way of writing for me, but so much fun. The “About Pigeons” section at the end of the book is actually my way of pointing out the many ways that the pigeon world in Seven is true to the actual world of pigeons.

For school visits, I use this unique way of writing to teach kids about pigeons. I first read Seven, A Most Remarkable Pigeon to them. I then lead the students through a pigeon quiz, where they sort out what is fiction in the story (can pigeons really talk?) and what is factual (do both mother and father pigeons really raise their kids?).

If you are interested in taking the quiz, you can find it below or on my website. Enjoy!

About Sandra Nickel: