Pippa

By Dimity Powell, Andrew Plant

A young pigeon defies her parents to explore the world alone. Will she find her way back home?

3.8/5 Goodreads · 18 ratings

32 pages· 366 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

Pippa, a daring young pigeon, dreams of soaring beyond her nest despite her parents' protective warnings. Ignoring their fears, she embarks on a solo adventure into the vast unknown. As she navigates treacherous skies and unfamiliar lands, Pippa must rely on her wits to survive and discover if her heart will guide her back home. Will her journey fulfill her dreams or lead her astray? Join Pippa as she learns that sometimes, taking risks is the only way to truly find oneself.

"Pippa loved to explore."

— from the book

From the publisher

Pippa is a little pigeon with big blue-sky ambitions: to fly solo and explore the world beyond her nest. Her parents are less than thrilled with their risk-taking feathered fledgling and smother her with well-meant yet suffocating warnings until one day she ignores them all and takes the leap into the unknown…alone.

But how will she survive in this new uncharted territory with all its treacherous dangers and make it back home in time for tea? Join Pippa on her incredible adventure as she discovers home is where the heart is.

Pippa is a light-hearted adventure tale about striking out alone, following your dreams and desires and experiencing what it’s like when you get there. It is a tale that acknowledges the sometimes-suffocating affection parents have for their offspring, which can temper and frustrate a child’s sense of freedom and adventure, and suggests that it’s okay to take risks from time to time. Although the adventure may be perilous, it is still worth experiencing for you never know what glorious discoveries lie in ahead.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Words: 366
Reading age: 3–5
Audience: Picture

Themes & topics

Books about exploration and discovery Books about pigeons Books about adventure and adventurers Books about growing up Books about facing fears

After the last page

Talk about it together

What was the one thing that Pippa desired above all else?

What or who was preventing her reaching her goals?

What trials and obstacles did Pippa encounter on her first solo flight?

Are there ever things you'd like to do that your parents aren't comfortable with? Have a conversation together about it taking time to listen to each other's perspectives. Did you learn anything?

Inside the book

A peek between the covers

Good to know

Stories behind the story

What inspired the story behind this book?

Pippa was inspired by my childhood memories of pigeon keeping. We had a loft in the backyard and kept up to 20 pigeons at a time. They were incredibly good parents and FAST breeders so we were never short of eggs or babies – called squeakers because of their constant excited squeaking for food whenever a parent was about. Pigeons have incredible instincts and attributes that enable them to find their way home from many miles away. I wanted to share some of their lesser known abilities in a fun, action-packed story that acknowledged the need for kids to be free to seek adventure and feel in charge of their destinies.

For readers who can't stop at one