Stop Feedin' da Boids!

by Pierre Pratt (Illustrator), James Sage

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Birds, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Humor, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 4, 2017

About the author

Pierre Pratt is an internationally acclaimed illustrator of over one hundred books for children, including The Branch and One Is a Lot (Except When It's Not). He is the recipient of three Governor General's Awards and a prestigious Golden Apple Award (UNESCO-Biennial of Illustration Bratislava), among other honors. He divides his time between Lisbon, Portugal, and Montreal, Canada.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Stop Feedin' da Boids!" is a cute children's story about a girl who moves to the city and misses the wildlife so she gets a bird feeder. We get to meet a few different characters who are not pleased with all of the pigeons that Swanda attracts. The illustrations are fun and add to the overall story. I look forward to reading more books written James Sage and illustrated by Pierre Pratt.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Pug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing book. I had such high hopes, based on the funny title and the cute pigeons. But the girl, Swanda (seriously!?), was just an idiot. The book strives to fill pages without expanding on the story, nor being entertaining. And how does getting swamped with pigeons translate into getting a bunch of fish???

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute enough book. I love the pictures of the pigeons close-up. Their blank look reminds me of the way chickens look at one.

The story is a quick one. Girl misses animals after she moves to New York, so she starts feeding the pigeons, who proceed to do what all birds do, because they don't have sphincter muscles, which drive the people below her apartment to shout their advice to stop here "Stop feedin' da boids!"

So, she decides to get obsessed with fish after that.

So, three stars for the cute pigeons, and expressive illustrations, but other than that, a rather bland book.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Michael Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the art and illustrations. The community building aspect of the book was great. The only draw back was the ending; it felt like ended twice.

[Sarah Verno · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Christine Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like pigeons. I'm glad Swanda does too

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I read this book as a digital galley and I think there are still some words missing. You can tell from the title that the town’s message to a little girl with a bird problem is Stop Feedin’ da Boids, but it is never said. Not only that, there seems to be a disconnect from the first half of the book and the last half. After the townspeople get involved with the birds, the little girl gets a fish tank, and then a larger one, and then it is like it never mattered in the first place. It’s just odd.

[jess ~has abandoned GR~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was a little confusing, and I can only assume that maybe a page or two was missing. I'm not really sure how it resolves itself.

The tone of the illustrations was a little too dark, and I wasn't a fan of the way the people were drawn.

Overall, it didn't really do it for me.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for showing unintended consequences or cause & effect.
The close ups of the pigeons make me feel I'm sitting right there in the middle of the flock, but the other illustrations are more cartoonish.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Swanda misses the wildlife that she left behind when they moved from the country to the city. Swanda, the little girl with a big heart. With her loving dog beside her, Swanda notices on her balcony, the little birds hanging around and sitting hereby. She decides to buy them a bird feeder and soon she has tons of birds flocking around her apartment, creating quite a mess. She tries to get some advice on what to do about the situation as her neighbors begin to complain and it boils down that she needs to “Stop feeding’ da boids!”

She quits feeding them and her neighborhood becomes quiet again but as Swanda and her dog walk past the pet shop the next day, something catches her eye. Swanda brings a glass bowl home with the small little fishes in it from the pet shop. As she looks at them swimming around the small bowl, Swanda wonders if perhaps they might be happier in something larger, oh yes…..something much larger.

I thought this children’s book was cute. Not as funny as I thought it would be with that title but the story is sweet. Swanda didn’t see anything wrong with all the birds that she was feeding until the neighbors started to complain and then she tried to fix the situation. Now, when she gets the fishes, I wonder what issues she might face, which might be an interesting question to ask children as they read this book. I liked how she cares about animals and her extreme attitude. I really enjoyed the illustration with all the pigeons on it that had the words “coo, coo, coo. “on it. I thought all the illustrations were nicely done. Just a real great novel to read with children.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stop Feedin' da Boids! is a picture book written by James Sage and illustrated by Pierre Pratt. When Swanda first moves to Brooklyn from the country, she misses the wildlife she left behind. But not for long. Swanda notices all the pigeons outside her apartment and decides that they need a bird feeder of their own. It is fun to watch the pigeons flock to the feeder, at first. But then more arrive, and then more, and more. Before she knows it, there are way too many pigeons! Swanda seeks some help 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 solution.

Stop Feedin' da Boids! is a fun picturebook that tells what could happen when a nature-loving girl meets city birds. The artwork is bright and adds detail and an additional layer of humor to the story. Readers get to see Swanda's good intentions, and the unintentional chaos that her actions cause. I loved that the story shows both the good heart and desire to help, as well as the need to think about the bigger picture and that doing a little research before try to help might be a good thing.

Stop Feedin' da Boids! is a funny book for sharing one on one or in a group read aloud setting. While it is great fun and humorous, it would also work as an introduction to social studies lessons on the differences of communities and dialects or a discussion about how animals adapt to live in cities.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gr K-1 Little Swanda has just moved to a friendly neighbourhood in Brooklyn. The place is filled with old red brick buildings and diverse people, but few animals. Swanda misses the animals, so she decides to feed the pigeons, unwitting to the concerns that would arise. The illustrations themselves provide the explanation for her neighbours’ annoyance; one pigeon is fine, many, a noisy, messy disruption. In the end, a satisfying resolution is reached when Swanda listens to her community's practical advice of “stop feedin’ da boids”. Award winning Pratt’s characteristic European-influenced style lends a warm, inviting feel to the city and its people. While his illustrations fill the page, text on the other hand, is fairly small, and loses some of its impact when surrounded by art with such a bold presence. The writing itself though is fun (it features the Brooklyn accent in its titular line), and in an unobtrusive way, teaches kids that they have a responsibility towards others. VERDICT Stop Feedin’ Da Boids encourages a sense of community (in all its diversity) in young readers; a great addition for any library, whether you are located in Brooklyn or elsewhere.

*reviewed for School Library Journal

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick story, with large pictures and few words. When Swanda moves to New York City, she misses the animals. When she sees the pigeons on the roof and fire escape, she decides to feed them. As anyone knows, when you feed pigeons, more arrive until the neighbours are very upset with her. They are tired of stepping in pigeon poop. Everyone shouts to her, "Stop feedin' da boids!" Of course Swanda does and the birds leave, but she is not happy with no animals. Then she sees fish in the pet shop window. This is a cute enough book. The pictures of the pigeons close-up are wonderful. The neighbours are also very well depicted. There is not much to the story but many people will be able to relate to this story as there are pigeons in more cities than just New York. The publisher generously gave me a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Stop Feedin' Da Boids!" is a cute picture book for children. Swanda has moved to Brooklyn and misses the wildlife- she is soon swarmed by pigeons who are noisy and bothering her neighbors. They figure out the problem is that she is feeding them. Once she stops, they go away, and Swanda gets some fish. The pictures are really the strength of the book with full page illustrations although very few words, children will love trying to identify the characters and all the bustle of Brooklyn. They are very colorful and full of images of people and objects. Please note that I received a copy through a goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.

[Shaunterria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stop Feedin’ Da Boids is a tribute to multi-cultural Brooklyn, New York that does an admirable job of portraying the up and downs of metropolis life. When Swanda moves from the countryside to the city, she cannot leave her love of wildlife behind. Unfortunately, her affection for feeding the birds leads to disastrous results for her neighbors. The illustrations are full of people of all shapes, sizes and colors, while the portrayal of the problem-causing pigeons is spot-on. One complaint is the small size of the text, which could make it this book hard to share during group storytimes. Still, a recommended addition to children’s libraries.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of potential with a title and cover like that, but it turned out to be pretty mehhhh.

"Stop feedin' da boids" should have been the refrain, and it would have been a lot better to first have her feed pigeons, then more and more birds show up--perhaps even tropical ones, throw an ostrich up there for total absurdity.

Instead the plot was a girl feeds birds, a bunch of them show up, she can't figure out how to get rid of them all, and eventually the neighbors tell her to stop feeding the "boids" so she does.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cute story with vibrant illustrations follows Swanda who arrives in the city and misses all the wildlife. When she spots pigeons she begins to feed them and the problem becomes overwhelming. Eventually she realizes that she can no longer give them food as the neighbours don't want the mess. So she moves on to fish, which leads to an aquarium, which leads to a desire for bigger and better. A fun book to remind children how less can be more.

[Andrea Dillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one really disappointed me. The title and cover made me expect so much more. I mean with a title like Stop feedin' da boids I thought there would be more...something a little more engaging. Sadly, this one is just ok. The story is quick and not particularly interesting. The only real redeeming aspect of this book is the art. The illustrations are beautiful.

[Colers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was anticipating a funny read with lots of hilarious dialogue and different characters but was disappointed. BOIDS is only yelled once during the entire read twice if you read the title out loud. Fast read and cute story. I enjoyed the illustrations and the story itself was unique.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl that moved to the city and missed animals. So she started feeding pigeons and they caused a big mess. Wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be but still an enjoyable book.

[Laine · Rating 2 out of 5]

unfortunately, this is a thoroughly underwhelming book. i thought i'd get some more accents in here, and a whole lot more humour. i thought the story would be about the birds. :(

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple little story, the illustrations are very unique with a more surrealist cast than anything else, the setting is delightfully drawn.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huh. Not at all what I expected...pretty disappointing.

[emyrose8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I was hoping for more dialect, what with the title. Animal lovers (and bird lovers) will appreciate this book.

[Seema Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous look at life in the city with pigeons and people in opposition with cartoonish illustrations. There is an amazing spread of scores of pigeons.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Proof for me that not everyone was meant to live in a city.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oblivious main character shows kids how not to interact with animals and new neighbors; odd illustrations are off-putting.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This week on Animal Hoarders....

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It was a recommended read through another site, but it really fell flat.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Use this for a read-aloud if you feel like busting out your Jersey accent.