“You’re being silly! Pigeons eat seeds and grains… and they find lots of them in the trash!” — Pigeon kid in The Real Poop on Pigeons!, n. pag.
| Creator(s) | Kevin McCloskey (author) |
| Publisher | Toon Books |
| Publication Date | 2015 |
| Genre | Educational, Fiction |
| Environmental Themes and Issues | Educational Nature Facts, Extinction |
| Protagonist’s Identity | Two adults: White man and woman The children dressed as pigeons include boys and girls of different races |
| Protagonist’s Level of Environmental Agency | Level 1: No Acknowledgement of Environmental Issues |
| Target Audience | Children (5 to 6 years) |
| Settings | New York City |
Environmental Themes
In the opening pages of Kevin McCloskey’s The Real Poop on Pigeons!, a white man shoos pigeons away from a bench and declares to a nearby woman, “I LOVE birds, but not pigeons!” (McCloskey, n. pag.). A group of boys and girls dressed like pigeons arrives, telling the adults, “There’s more to pigeons than POOP!” (McCloskey, n. pag.). The children regale the adults with various facts about pigeons, educating them about their breeding behaviors, diet, species, and cultural impact. At the conclusion of the short comic, the pigeon-hating man has changed his mind about the birds, saying, “Pigeons are wonderful, not pests like squirrels!” (McCloskey n. pag.). The comic’s final page depicts a group of children dressed as squirrels preparing to educate the man about the animals. Despite the rather odd conceit of the pigeon and squirrel children, the comic does effectively educate young readers about pigeons, contests popular stereotypes about the birds, and promotes care for all animals. However, beyond encouraging children to learn about pigeons, the comic does not promote any forms of environmental activism.
Other environmental comics created by Kevin McCloskey include Ants Don’t Wear Pants! and We Dig Worms!
