Pickles the pigeon, and all his new friends. Photo by Dion Campbell
We sat in the front of the room with Emma Coleman, the marvelously talented librarian at Berkeley’s central location. On our knees sat three pigeons: Peck, Pickles, and Mardi Gras. One small, one medium, one party-sized! We looked out into a sea of 134 eager and curious faces, all there to hear pigeon stories in the company of real pigeons!
Palomacy Pigeon and Dove Adoptions finds forever homes for rescued domestic pigeons and doves in the Bay Area. Along the way, we spend as much time as possible sharing these amazing birds with people who want to learn more. We had been waiting for this day for weeks!
Emma led the group in a sing along, and read some pigeon-themed stories. Our favorite was one that is dear to our hearts as rescuers: “How to Heal a Broken Wing” by Bob Graham. It shares the lesson that you shouldn’t just walk by if you see a bird in need of help!
After the stories there were pigeon crafts, designed by the – again, brilliant – Emma, while we mingled.
Coloring book pages by super-librarian Emma Coleman. Photo by Dion Campbell
We got to meet the children and their grown-ups, and they got to meet the pigeons. Big Mardi Gras met a family from New Orleans, gentle little Peck was a more approachable bird for some of our new friends who were feeling shy, and Pickles, of course, owned the room!
Peck is a sweet, approachable bird. Photo by Cynthia Bardouka-Large
Cal, one of our new young friends, went home and spent the day drawing pigeons to illustrate all the things he had learned. His grown-ups helped with the written part and gave us permission to share his delightful pictures.
Cal and Pickles were friends right away! Photo by Dion Campbell
Are you a librarian in the Bay Area? Would you like to have pigeons help with story time? They like to help! Reach out to cynthia@pigeonrescue.org.
Cal’s grownups helped with the writing: “Pigeons will come to you if you sit still and quiet.” Photo by Cal and family
Learn more about who Palomacy is and what we do here:
What is Palomacy? It’s Pigeon Diplomacy.
