Stop Feedin' da Boids!

When Swanda first moves to Brooklyn from the country, she misses the wildlife she left behind. But not for long. ”Oh, look! What dear little birds!“ Swanda says to her dog when she notices all the pigeons outside her apartment. ”Come, Waldo, we’ll get them a bird feeder all their own.“ It’s fun to watch the pigeons flock to the feeder, at first. But then more arrive … and more … and more. And before she knows it, there are too many pigeons! Swanda seeks some ”Sound Practical Advice“ from a few experts — a pest control officer, the keeper of birds at the city zoo and an exotic bird fancier from Peru — but that gets her nowhere. So her neighbors step in with their own Brooklynese solution: ”SWANDA, YOU GOTTA STOP FEEDIN’ DA BOIDS!“

Author James Sage’s funny picture book explores what happens when a nature-loving girl meets city birds. The playful, vibrant artwork by award-winning illustrator Pierre Pratt offers its own comic narrative. Readers are in on the havoc below the bird feeder that Swanda doesn’t see. This book makes a terrific choice for a humorous, entertaining read-aloud. It would also work as an introduction to social studies lessons on urban versus rural communities, and on accents and dialects. It would easily launch a life sciences discussion on how species adapt and survive in urban habitats as well.