Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird: A True Story

by Stephanie Spinner, Meilo So (Illustrator)

In 1977, graduate student Irene Pepperberg walked into a pet store and bought a year-old African grey parrot. Because she was going to study him, she decided to call him Alex--short for Avian Learning EXperiment. At that time, most scientists thought that the bigger the brain, the smarter the creature; they studied great apes and dolphins. African greys, with their walnut-sized "birdbrains," were pretty much ignored--until Alex. 

His intelligence surprised everyone, including Irene. He learned to count, add, and subtract; to recognize shapes, sizes, and colors; and to speak, and understand, hundreds of words. These were things no other animal could do. Alex wasn't supposed to have the brainpower to do them, either. But he did them anyway.

Accompanied by Meilo So's stunning illustrations, Alex and Irene's story is one of groundbreaking discoveries about animal intelligence, hard work, and the loving bonds of a unique friendship.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Childrens, Birds, Juvenile

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in Rockaway Beach, New York. I read straight through my childhood, with breaks for food, sleep, and the bathroom. I went to college in Bennington, Vermont, moved to New York City, and took a job in publishing so I could get paid for reading. I read so much bad fiction that I needed a break, so I moved to London, and from there I traveled to Morocco, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan India, Nepal, and Ceylon. I came back to America, wandered around some more -- to Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize -- and on returning to New York decided to study Tibetan Buddhist painting (called thangka painting) in Boulder, Colorado.

I painted thangkas for many years. Each one took anywhere from several weeks to a few months to complete, and at long last I understood that this was not the ideal way for me to make a living. Only a few hundred Americans collected thangkas, and they wanted old ones, painted by Tibetan monks. It was time to make a change.

So I took another publishing job, this time in children’s books. I found that I liked children’s books a lot, and before long, I became an editor.

Years passed. I was encouraged to write. I scoffed at the idea that I had anything to write about. I edited some wonderfully talented authors -- Virginia Hamilton, Philip Isaacson, Clyde Robert Bulla, Gloria Whelan, Robin McKinley, Joan Vinge, Garth Nix, and Chris Lynch, among others -- with great enjoyment. Writing seemed like torture by comparison.

Then, to my amazement, I found myself writing a book and having a good time -- simultaneously! The book was ALIENS FOR BREAKFAST, and I enjoyed writing it because my co-author was Jonathan Etra. Jon (who died of heart disease in 1990) was a close friend with a wild sense of humor, and collaborating with him changed my opinion of writing forever. After ALIENS FOR BREAKFAST, and ALIENS FOR LUNCH, which we also co-wrote, I began to think that writing could be interesting fun.

And now that I’ve been doing it full-time for more than ten years, I can tell you why I like it better than a job. First, I can work in my bathrobe. (To the FedEx man and the UPS man, I am "the woman in the plaid flannel robe.") Second, I can eat when I’m hungry, choose when to take phone calls, and walk my dogs any time. Third, the only meetings I have -- and they’re short -- are with the dry cleaner and the post office ladies. Fourth, I can read whatever I please. I may tell people I’m doing research when I read about horse-trekking, or hunting in ancient Greece, or 16 ways to better compost, but the truth is, I’m not doing research, I’m having a good time. Which I think is still allowed.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children's book about Dr. Pepperberg's very famous talking parrot, Alex wbose last words were, "Be good. I love you." It made a point that made me think that how we learn is definitely down to evolutionary psychology. The book itself is beautifully illustrated and covers the main points about the difference between all other animal speech and Alex's in a simplified, but scientific way.

Alex apparently needed a great deal of repetitive training in order to be able to say that an item was four-cornered and green. He needed no training whatsoever to learn words that he wanted to use, for example food words. Not only did he need no training, he would make them up, as in 'banary' for an apple - banana and cherry. Four-cornered green objects are only relatively important because they a get a reward. Knowing how to ask for something got Alex what he wanted without having to perform any tasks at all.

This made me think of my cat, Lily. She needed only showing where the cat door was and pushing through once in order to use it. She taught herself to open doors by pushing them or hooking them with her claws but I have had no success trying to get her to close doors behind herself. I only discovered last week that she can do it but only does it when it's to her benefit.

She's been hiding in a kitchen cupboard that has the hot water tank in it. I don't like her there because there is also food (cans, boxes etc) so I pull her out. The other day I went to find something in it, the door was closed and I see bright eyes reflected at me. Hmmm. So she can close doors when she wants to. She also opens and slams shut repeatedly the cat food cupboard door if I don't give her food when she wants it. Problem solved by getting a feeder that only needs filling every three or four days.

Alex also taught himself sentences that established him as the boss and to bully another parrot he didn't like. He obviously had a sense of humour - another evolutionary trait, and it was quite a malicious one at that. Having a sense of humour implies a knowledge of theory of mind. He wanted to upset the other bird and knew that he could confuse him so that he would give a wrong answer and that Alex could then crow over him that he was wrong.

Small children learn like Alex too. It takes them a long time to teach them what adults consider necessary knowledge but no time at all to pick up the (bad) habits other children have that are thoroughly enjoyable.

[Kayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried as I read this one... At work... This is a great description of the scientific process, as well as the story of an amazing animal, and a special friendship. Alex was more than just his name: Avian Learning EXperiment. He was a friend; an intelligent being.

My personal experience with pets and animals in general places me in the school of thought shared by the scientists mentioned in this book. I loved it! Love the message...

[RachelsaurusEatsAForest]

Spoilers: RIP in peace, Alex

[Memory Toast · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, not because the writing wasn't good, or the illustrations were lacking, but rather because I'm confused about the audience. I actually had trouble finding it when I went to pick it up because I was expecting a chapter book - and, well, it does have chapters, but it's really more of a picture book. The text sounds like it is aimed at a younger audience, but there's too much of it for a little person to get through by themselves. I guess maybe it could be a good read-aloud for an adult child pair that shares an interest in animals, specifically birds, and scientific research?

Also, having read the adult version of the story when I was a teen, I think I was expecting more detail, so take my opinion with that in mind.

[Alexandria Stephens]

Alex the Parrot is the story of a bird who revolutionized the way scientists think about brain size. The Avian Learning Experiment was based on the fact that scientist believed the bigger the brain, the smarter the creature. Alex was an African parrot and had the brain size comparable to a walnut. Although his brain was small, the bird was extraordinarily intelligent. This book can be used in literacy to teach recounting a story. Students can read this book either independently or aloud and either make a visual or write about the story they have read.

[Brienz Wilkening · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very informative book about a woman named Irene and her parrot ALEX (Avian Learning EXperiment). The story takes you through there growth together and Alex's learning abilities as a parrot. I knew before reading this book that parrots could learn many words but this parrot far outweighed anything that I thought was possible for a parrot to do. The illustrations are very simple and there are quite a few words on each page but in about 40 pages you learn the entire story of Alex and Irene's journey.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to read this kids' version of the story of Alex, an African Grey parrot with the intelligence of a five-year-old child. Alex understood the concept of "zero"-- something not even chimps can do--and made up his own words, such as "banerry," a combination of "banana" and "cherry" to describe an apple. Amazing!

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, colorful book that will introduce youngsters to Alex, an African gray parrot who helped change everything we know about bird intelligence and animal cognition. Thanks to Alex, we no longer are unaware that feathered friends aren't "bird brains." His relationship to the people around him is also touching and a fine example of interspecies friendship.

[Rena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had many parakeets when I grew up and Alex makes me want one again. Birds are amazing creatures with as much attitude as cats. Geez, I'm going to have to go to the pet store!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable nonfiction.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is wordy and all the words are important. Best for a slightly older reader, excellent for research, this is still a personal story of a very special gray parrot, the first to be studied in a lab for language acquisition. I was astonished that this study took so long to happen and at how many words and interactive phrases Alex knew. Lovely illustrations by Milo So.

[Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pretty good read, I loved the illustrations in this book and the writing was very good to. At some point I was confused, its an interesting chapter book for the younger kids. I love it but this for somone older then second grade. Great informational book, its verfy informative about the lady and her bird, and their growth together. This book also taught new vocabualry, loved it.

[Tori Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Alex the Parrot" is a good children's book because it combines an engaging story with educational content and a positive message, making it both entertaining and enriching for young readers. Alex the Parrot includes engaging storytelling, and inspiring message, lot's of educational content, strong emotional connection, and is very visually appearing for students.

[Jenna Daucunas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bit long for a picture book, but we've been reading a few pages every night (to my 5 yr old). A neighbor down the street has a parrot and another neighbor mentioned Alex in conversation one day. So excited to have seen this book by chance at our library -- so fascinating and really well written. It's easy for kids to follow along.

[Glen Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't give books 5 stars, but I did this time because my son loved this book (he clapped when we finished). It's about a biologist and a parrot. My son loves science and I think he was very impressed with how things worked out for Alex and Irene.

[Hailey Licata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very fun and informative. It brings light to birds in a fun way, and it teaches children to love and find interest in things not everyone else does. This book is inspiring and amazing.

[Sydney Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about ALEX the parrot, who was a pioneer for animal intelligence. He proved how smart animals really are, until this experiment gorillas and chimps where thought to be the only other intelligent beings.

[Zoe Austin]

Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird: A True Story by Stephanie Spinner provides an interesting glimpse into the life of a remarkable parrot. It could be used in class to introduce students to the concept of animal intelligence or as part of a lesson on scientific research involving animals.

[Shahd Rdawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overwhelming night to read that book!!

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precioso

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting!

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: ALEX THE PARROT: NO ORDINARY BIRD by Stephanie Spinner and Meilo So, ill., Knopf, October 2012, 48p., ISBN: 978-0-375-86846-7

“A-well-a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word
A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a don't you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!
A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word”
--The Trashmen (1963)

Alex was a bird who knew words. In 1977, grad student Irene Pepperberg purchased him, a year-old African gray parrot, with the intent of studying his capacity to learn and communicate:

“Parrots in captivity learned by imitation, too. But exactly what they learned, and how well they understood it, was still a question. By using a new teaching method with Alex (called the ‘model-rival’ method), Irene hoped to find the answer.
“She and a student assistant would sit in front of Alex and pretend to teach each other a word. For example, Irene would show the student a key, saying ‘key.’ The student would repeat the word ‘key’ and Irene would hand the object over. The student would handle to key with great interest, and then show the key to Irene. When Irene responded by again calling it ‘key,’ she would get to hold it.”

ALEX THE PARROT is an excellent nonfiction picture book ¬about a parrot, scientific method, and animal communications. In five chapters, author Stephanie Spinner takes us step by step through Irene’s training of and years with Alex. The training was so successful that eventually Alex could evaluate a group of objects and articulate respective colors, shapes, matter (what an object is made of), numbers of objects, and the difference between objects. He could even understand the complicated concept of zero.

“As soon as a new assistant entered the lab, Alex began issuing orders. ‘Want nut!’ ‘Want grape!’ ‘Go get dinner!’ he would call. ‘Come here!’ ‘Pay attention!’ ‘You tickle!’
“He showed no mercy.”

Beyond all the information about his learning abilities, and related information about other highly intelligent species that have been studied by animal behaviorists, ALEX THE PARROT makes for such a great story because Alex is such a character. He is a total crack-up!

What, to me, is so fascinating about this book is that it begins with an explanation of mistaken stereotypes of the past about bird brainy-ness and the now-discredited notions of brain size correlating with intelligence. We are learning new knowledge all the time about such issues, and who knows what we will discover next.

Here, we see the sophisticated cognitive abilities that Alex developed through teaching and practice. We also see the parrot’s social development by reading about how Alex reacted to another (younger) parrot becoming part of his domain.

Now, if parrots have such fine working brains, it makes me wonder whether Alex also had the capacity to have feelings and to have memories. Since we are always learning more about the various creatures with whom we share the planet, might it be possible that many animals are far more intelligent than we give them credit for? Might many species of animals and birds and fish actually have feelings? And if we accept the notion that some or all animals might have feelings, how might this knowledge alter the manner in which we own animals and care for animals under our control? Might it also cause some to reconsider their roles in being consumers of flesh that comes from animals who spend their lives in crowded captivity and are then disassembled in meat factories?

Or might we simply figure that parrots with their amazing abilities are an exception to it all; that all the creatures people normally eat lack intelligence and don’t have any such cognitive abilities or feelings?

Just thinking…

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com/
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/middle_school...
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weeks later my kids are still talking about this book and are playing "Alex the Parrot" games. We loved everything about it. A little too long for a preschooler to read in one go, but great if you do a chapter a time. Perfect read aloud for 1st- 5th graders. Lovely art, sweet nonfiction story. We enjoyed learning about the humanity and intelligence of animals, how scientists do their work, and true historical facts.

[Susan Brown]

Twin Text: Zeno and Alya by Jane Kelley (Copyright 2013)

Stephanie Spinner tells the story of Alex, an African grey parrot. Chosen for a research project, Alex was studied to determine how much parrots could learn and understand language. His remarkable ability helped change the world’s view of animal intellect. With the exception of a brief flashback, the book is written in chronological sequence. It begins with Alex as a one-year-old and ends with his death at 31. The author uses descriptive text to highlight Alex’s learning milestones, contribution to research, and his fame. Spinner writes the book as a narrative in chapter form.

I have paired the book with The Desperate Adventures of Zeno & Alya. Zeno is also an African grey parrot and many chapters of the book are told from his perspective. He is an intelligent bird that has learned many things from humans. This parallel with the nonfiction work will help reinforce the message of Alex the Parrot.

The two central bird figures in these books make the pairing especially suitable for Venn diagrams. I would have students compare the abilities of Alex and Zeno. Because of the length, Alex the Parrot would make a good read aloud book. I would start by reading it to the class. Together we could come up with a list of the things that Alex learned to do (count to six, recognize shapes, etc.). I would read some of the chapters of Zeno and Alya out loud and assign some for homework. As they read, students would keep their own lists about Zeno’s abilities. When they were done with both books, students could compile the information they gathered into a Venn diagram. To finish up, I would ask students to take a closer look at the section of the diagram that was only about Zeno. Using the knowledge gained from Alex the Parrot, we could discuss which of these learned behaviors an African Grey might be capable of doing and which the author included to further the plot of the fictional story.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird, written by Stephanie Spinner and illustrated by Meilo So, is a nominee for the 14-15 South Carolina Children's Book Award.

Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird is a true story of an extraordinary animal. This book tells the tale of Irene Pepperberg and her work with Alex, a truly phenomenal African grey parrot.

Irene believed that birds could learn language and communicate with the world around them, and she set out to prove just that. She patiently taught words and their meanings to Alex, and the clever parrot quickly showed everyone just how smart he was. He learned to sort by color, shape, and size, he could count up to six, he let everyone know what he wanted to eat, and he even played pranks on those around him. To top it all off, Alex made sure people knew that he was the boss!

In a time when most people believed that only larger animals, particularly apes, could be taught to communicate with humans, Alex proved everyone wrong. He and Irene showed the world that birds were intelligent creatures that often had quite a bit to say! Alex helped others learn more about birds, especially African grey parrots, and that has changed how these animals are viewed even today.

Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird is an excellent book for anyone interested in how animals communicate (something I was thinking about myself just yesterday). I think this book will be an excellent addition to animal studies, and I even hope to use it as a read-aloud with my youngest students. When paired with actual videos of Alex (and other birds), I think this book could be a tremendous teaching tool on animal intelligence.

[Dest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when Alex and Me came out in 2008. The story of the smartest bird in the world was bound to be rewritten for children and I think Stephanie Spinner has done a good job of it, especially for a 2nd to 5th grade audience and reluctant readers. With lots of colorful illustrations and a short, clear narrative, this story has major appeal for animal lovers and kids who only want TRUE stories. It might be interesting to compare this to The One and Only Ivan in terms of how animal intelligence is portrayed. Both stories really make you fall in love with the main animal character.

I took some issue with the author attributing motivations to Alex that weren't necessarily factual. For example, the author says Alex would answer incorrectly to "tease" the trainers or to "confuse" a younger bird also being trained in the lab. But I think these assertions are balanced in part by including this statement: "There were still people who doubted that Alex understood what he was saying, but Irene was sure that he did."

The sad ending and the tribute to the difference Alex made in the treatment of other African grey parrots also call to mind Ivan the gorilla. Two great books about two memorable animals!

[Meaghan Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird By: Stephanie Spinner 2012
Meaghan G., Spring 2015
*NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for 2015*

This was a very informative as well as a fun read! I really enjoyed reading Alex the Parrot. This story is about a bird that changed the way of science and research. Alex is an African Parrot and he gets purchased by a graduate student named Irene. Irene called the parrot Alex because she was going to research him and the research being conducted stood for Avian Learning EXpierment. Alex was a rather smart bird compared to what most people though of him and other parrots. During this time, scientist were studying apes and dolphins comparing brain sizes. I will say that the ending made me cry and it was touching.

I really loved reading this story. I felt the author and illustrator Meilo So did an amazing job showing the life and relationship Alex and Irene had throughout the story. This book I would recommend to readers grades 3rd and up. Teachers can use this book in lessons about determination, friendships, scientific research, as well as animals and their bonds with humans. This is a true story so I felt that it was rather interesting and cool to learn about the African Parrot and research today. I would rate this book a 5 feathers out of 5 feathers.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through my fascination with apes, I have learned quite a bit about language acquisition, intelligence and apes. This nonfiction picture book takes a look at these topics from a whole different direction- parrots. Growing up my father always wanted a parrot and specifically an African Grey because of its intelligence. This was my extent of knowledge of these animals until picking up this book and I will say that I am now so intrigued by African Grey Parrots and specifically Alex (I googled him and watched many videos and read more about him before writing this review).

Alex the Parrot takes us chronologically through Alex's life and Irene's study of his language and intelligence acquisition. Alex far exceeded all hopes that Irene had and proved anyone doubting the intelligence of animals wrong. I am not sure why Alex isn't always discussed when Washoe and Koko are because he did what they are able to do and more!

I can definitely see this book being used in middle grade classrooms and being a favorite of many students and teachers. It will start a great discussion about intelligence, language, emotions and animals vs. people.

[Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spinner, S. (2012). Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Additional Information: Primary (K-3)

Summary: When Irene Pepperberg bought Alex the parrot for research in 1977, she had no idea that he would surpass expectations and learn more than 100 words. This book details this true story in five sections and alternates between the research science, the relationship between pet and owner, and Alex's strength to beat the odds.

Notable Awards/Reviews: Booklist 10/01/12 (Vol. 109, No. 3), Kirkus Reviews 09/15/12, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 11/01/12, Library Media Connection 01/01/13, Horn Book 09/01/12, Publishers Weekly starred 09/24/12, Horn Book 04/01/13, School Library Journal 10/01/12


Connection to Standards for the 21st Century Learner: 4.2.1 Display curiosity by pursuing interests through multiple resources.

Because this picture book is non-fiction and tells a true story, it could be used to direct students who were interested in the topic to other resources that teach them about Alex the parrot in more depth.

[Danielle Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex is an African grey parrot which is unique because he is a scientific project. Alex was studied around the time that many scientist were studying other animals and trying to get the animals to communicate with humans. Birds were not thought of being intelligent because they have smaller brains than most animals. Alex proves the other scientists wrong by not only using words to describe objects, but showing an actual understanding of language and concept of ideas such as adding and subtracting.

I really enjoy this book because the reader can feel a strong bond between Alex and the scientist, Irene. This is one of the few stories about a talking animal that is a true story.

After reading this story about Alex, I was intrigued to do more research on him. I looked at video clips online to learn more about him. I think it would be great to read this story to children and incorporate technology by showing them the videos of Alex.