Fly High, Fly Low

The secret is: this book is for grown-ups who like children's books. As a book for kids, not so much. I loved it. My grandson listened intently for one reading, then never wanted to see it again. From a child, that's a two-star review.

The story is sort of Make Way for Ducklings set on the West Coast, with San Francisco instead of Boston and pigeons instead of ducks. It's about the hazards - and beauty - of big city life for birds who depend on the kindness of strangers. The birds' quest for their nest leads them across the cityscape and introduces warm (and multi-ethnic) human characters. If you love San Francisco, the color drawings are wonderful. Boys, though, might need a more compelling story.

A special book. Sure it's a cute adventure. But there's more to it. It shows us what San Francisco is like, w/ cable cars, fog, Union Square, and the Golden Gate bridge. It shows us that city dwellers can find value in any small glimpse of the natural world. It shows us the value of salvaging (upcycling) old materials (the letter B from one sign to another). The main human character, Mr. Hi Lee, is not white, but is not exoticly 'ethnic' either.

I'm very glad to hear that it's been reprinted. Just a lovely book. For fans of Make Way for Ducklings (ty Fjóla) when they're a couple of years older.

Sid the pigeon is very choosy about finding just the right home in the magnificent city of san Francisco. And find it he does, in the loop of a huge 'B' in an electric sign high up on a skyscraper. Sid's view of San Francisco is without equal. So Sid asks the lovely dove Midge to share his home. But one morning, while Midge is taking her turn sitting on two eggs, disaster strikes. A truck comes and workers take down the letters on the skyscraper one by one.

This is the beautiful story of a pigeon (Sid) who made his nest away from the building that other pigeons had made their nest. In fact he made his nest on a letter B of Bay Hotel. At the time that other pigeons would see his actions as odd, there was one pigeon who wasn't skeptical about his nest. Sid asked this female pigeon (Midge) to join him and together they made a nest. They eventually had two eggs that they would sit on. At some point the sign was torn down and the two pigeons lost each other for a part of the day, but then after going through some adventures Sid found Midge. At the end their eggs hatched and the baby birds lived on the upper loop of the B, while the parents were at the bottom loop of the letter B.
The story show more teaches some facts about city of San Fransisco. The story has humor; it is soft and has humanistic elements to it. show less

how 2 birds fight through to find a home after their nest was damaged