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Fly Homer Fly
A country pigeon is talked into visiting a city park by a sparrow. After he injures a wing he is helped home by the sparrow and his friends.
Library Binding
First published January 1, 1973
95 people want to read
About the author
Bill Peet
53 books232 followersBill Peet was an American children's book illustrator and a story writer for Disney Studios. He joined Disney in 1937 and worked on The Jungle Book, Song of the South, Cinderella, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Goliath II, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Fantasia, The Three Caballeros, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and other stories.
After successes developing short stories for Disney, Peet had his first book published, Hubert's Hair Raising Adventure.
After successes developing short stories for Disney, Peet had his first book published, Hubert's Hair Raising Adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 10, 2020
Here is an old review from a year ago.
A country bird is enticed to see the big city. This was before the EPA so the city was nasty with smog and you couldn’t see the sky. The city is a tough place and soon Homer, our bird figures out that the city isn’t a place he wants to live. So, his sparrow friend, who is the one who invited him, helps him get home after an accident, but the sparrows like the fresh air and decide to stay with him so he isn’t lonely.
I see this as a book about the environment, subtlety and living in nature. I have learned that I need a lot of nature around me. Ann Arbor is a garden town is how I describe it. Everyone puts a garden in their yard instead of grass just about. I love it. Ann Arbor is about 150,000 people. That’s the perfect size. Baltimore is simply too big for me. There are other places to live in Maryland that have less people, but everywhere is so expensive. I do enjoy the people and area here, but I think I’m ready for a change myself.
Also, I grew in a dream situation. My parents had an acre yard with the 120 acre woods behind us. It was so delightful. I am needing to get back to that I think. I can’t leave yet, but I think I’m beginning to itch to move somewhere less dense population wise. This book and others I have been reading are reminding me of who I am.
The nephew didn’t like this book. He said it was long and boring. I think it’s a good book, but not one of Bill’s best. He was also in a mood during this story and so he gave this 1 star. There you go.
A country bird is enticed to see the big city. This was before the EPA so the city was nasty with smog and you couldn’t see the sky. The city is a tough place and soon Homer, our bird figures out that the city isn’t a place he wants to live. So, his sparrow friend, who is the one who invited him, helps him get home after an accident, but the sparrows like the fresh air and decide to stay with him so he isn’t lonely.
I see this as a book about the environment, subtlety and living in nature. I have learned that I need a lot of nature around me. Ann Arbor is a garden town is how I describe it. Everyone puts a garden in their yard instead of grass just about. I love it. Ann Arbor is about 150,000 people. That’s the perfect size. Baltimore is simply too big for me. There are other places to live in Maryland that have less people, but everywhere is so expensive. I do enjoy the people and area here, but I think I’m ready for a change myself.
Also, I grew in a dream situation. My parents had an acre yard with the 120 acre woods behind us. It was so delightful. I am needing to get back to that I think. I can’t leave yet, but I think I’m beginning to itch to move somewhere less dense population wise. This book and others I have been reading are reminding me of who I am.
The nephew didn’t like this book. He said it was long and boring. I think it’s a good book, but not one of Bill’s best. He was also in a mood during this story and so he gave this 1 star. There you go.
June 7, 2017
“Fly Homer Fly” is a brilliant children’s book from Bill Peet and it is about how a lonely pigeon named Homer finds a friend in Sparky the sparrow when he tries to see what life is like in the big city. “Fly Homer Fly” is a lovely story about true friendship that children will love for many years.
Bill Peet’s illustrations are beautiful, especially of the images of Homer and the other pigeons in Pigeon Plaza as the pigeons look different from each other since they have different colors and shapes and Homer seems to be the smallest pigeon out of all the other pigeons. The images that stood out the most were the images of Sparky the sparrow and the largest pigeon that Homer meets up with. Sparky the sparrow looks so small and cute and is the smallest bird in the entire book, while the biggest pigeon looks rough as its feathers are all ruffled up. Bill Peet’s story about Homer trying to adjust to the city life and meeting Sparky the sparrow is truly inspirational as Homer and Sparky bond with each other throughout the book and Sparky would try his best to help out Homer in the city, which proves that he is a true friend to Homer. Children can easily relate to Homer and Sparky’s friendship as many children have friends who would do anything to help them out of a difficult situation the best they can.
“Fly Homer Fly” is a great classic book for children who love reading books about friendship. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the length of this book might bore smaller children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
March 23, 2013
Bill Peet hits the sweet spot somewhere around age 5 or 6 — at least, he did for my boys and now does for my grandson, who is 5. The kid has to be old enough to handle a measure of darkness in Peet’s landscapes. His cityscapes remind me of R. Crumb with all the wires overhead and all the garbage underfoot. There’s a darkness in some of his human characters as well, who usually have a Depression-era air of desperation, such as Mr. Frenzy who is the driving character of Jennifer and Josephine and who — my grandson spotted him — makes a guest appearance in this book, Fly Homer Fly. But beyond the pollution in the background and the hardness of some actors, there’s a sweetness to his stories, a triumph of good animals over bad. With his long experience at Disney Studio, Bill Peet is a master at drawing animals with personality and emotions.
Homer is a sweet pigeon living a simple country life until a wayward sparrow convinces him to try living in the big city. In Mammoth City, he soon discovers dirty air and, worse, he must fight for his food and beware of cats and rats and even a falling building. The baddest bad guy in this story is not human but an oversize bully of a pigeon. Homer can’t fly back home to the country because he has injured his wing. It’s pretty scary. Fortunately, he has a friend in the sparrow, and a clever solution will follow.
Bill Peet is a wonderful artist. There’s energy and depth in his drawings. His stories range from sweet to scary. For sensitive children, Fly Homer Fly is one of the more worry-making stories — with a happy resolution, to be sure — so I’d introduce a kid to Bill Peet through some of his lighter books first, such as The Caboose Who Got Loose or Smokey. But I love this book, and so does my grandson, who has practically memorized it and will anticipate what comes next, saying “It saddened him to think that all his friends would be leaving,” (surprising words from the mouth of a five-year-old), or “What’s fair for one is fair for all!” Great book. Great author. Great artist
Homer is a sweet pigeon living a simple country life until a wayward sparrow convinces him to try living in the big city. In Mammoth City, he soon discovers dirty air and, worse, he must fight for his food and beware of cats and rats and even a falling building. The baddest bad guy in this story is not human but an oversize bully of a pigeon. Homer can’t fly back home to the country because he has injured his wing. It’s pretty scary. Fortunately, he has a friend in the sparrow, and a clever solution will follow.
Bill Peet is a wonderful artist. There’s energy and depth in his drawings. His stories range from sweet to scary. For sensitive children, Fly Homer Fly is one of the more worry-making stories — with a happy resolution, to be sure — so I’d introduce a kid to Bill Peet through some of his lighter books first, such as The Caboose Who Got Loose or Smokey. But I love this book, and so does my grandson, who has practically memorized it and will anticipate what comes next, saying “It saddened him to think that all his friends would be leaving,” (surprising words from the mouth of a five-year-old), or “What’s fair for one is fair for all!” Great book. Great author. Great artist
January 10, 2018
I accidentally tripped over Bill Peet as an author and illustrator in my elementary school library. The first and only book I can truly remember of him was his autobiography, which was a challenging read for my age group but one that caught my imagination. It was one that would introduce me to an amazing man who not only helped to build-up the Disney empire but one that did a wonderful job in also providing characters who weren't perfect but at the same time endearing.
This book is what I have come to expect from Bill Peet. Although it is a children's book the text writing is normally a bit longer and the adventure although it is there isn't much to draw the attention. I would suggest this particular story for older elementary school children rather than much younger reading audiences or for those who may be reading to younger children.
The illustrations are classic Peet all the way with their scraggly looks, their bleak and darkened environments catching the true spirit of city darkness and their charming yet detailed differences of each individual character. At the same time uniquely different from any other illustrations, they present relatable characters whose faces aren't left for misinterpretation and a story that is told in its own right.
Although the story was a modern-day retelling of The City and Country Mouse I wasn't quite a fan of the actual telling of the story itself. No matter what there is a nice and warming end to the story itself but not one that would encourage me to come back for a re-reading of the tale itself.
This book is what I have come to expect from Bill Peet. Although it is a children's book the text writing is normally a bit longer and the adventure although it is there isn't much to draw the attention. I would suggest this particular story for older elementary school children rather than much younger reading audiences or for those who may be reading to younger children.
The illustrations are classic Peet all the way with their scraggly looks, their bleak and darkened environments catching the true spirit of city darkness and their charming yet detailed differences of each individual character. At the same time uniquely different from any other illustrations, they present relatable characters whose faces aren't left for misinterpretation and a story that is told in its own right.
Although the story was a modern-day retelling of The City and Country Mouse I wasn't quite a fan of the actual telling of the story itself. No matter what there is a nice and warming end to the story itself but not one that would encourage me to come back for a re-reading of the tale itself.
December 24, 2024
As much as I love his made-up creatures, it's wonderful when he gives a voice to ordinary critters, as seen here in the country pigeon/city sparrow contrast. One of the longer and more complex stories, Homer finds himself in all kinds of escapades, from a pigeon mob (I always laugh when he knocks the big bully into the fountain) to the building demolition job that busts his wing. The ultimate solution to this problem is terrifically cute.
August 7, 2021
Homer's a simple country pigeon who enjoys the open fields full of insects most of the year, and dines with the farmer's chickens in the winter. Then he meets a wind-tossed sparrow who urges him to try his luck in the big city. Their adventure ends in disaster, and Homer finds out who his true friends are. As always, Peet's artwork is the greatest.
December 3, 2007
Summary: Homer was a pigeon that lived out on a farm in the middle of nowhere. He lived alone in the rafters of an old barn. A storm came one afternoon and a sparrow named Sparky came into Homer’s life. Sparky convinces Homer to fly to Mammoth City and join the other birds at Pigeon Plaza where people feed the birds all day. Once the birds arrive in the polluted city Homer has to fight for his food. He gets a big piece of raisin bread and a bully bird tries to steal it from Homer. Home then pushes the bully into the fountain and flies away with his piece of bread. The other birds try to catch him but they are all too fat from eating all the time in the park. Homer gets away and lands on a building that is about to be destroyed. While the building is falling Sparky gets away but Homer gets his wing trapped and it breaks. Sparky flies to get his sparrow friends to help Homer. Meanwhile Homer is fighting off cats and rats. The little sparrows return with a metal hanger and fly Homer back to his home on the farm. The little birds end up staying with him and they are very happy.
Response: This book would be great in a unit about friendship. It also sends the well known message of “there is no place like home”. I really enjoyed reading this book to the students because it gave them a chance to do some predicting and in first grade they like to voice their opinions and ideas all the time.
Response: This book would be great in a unit about friendship. It also sends the well known message of “there is no place like home”. I really enjoyed reading this book to the students because it gave them a chance to do some predicting and in first grade they like to voice their opinions and ideas all the time.
June 2, 2016
Another darling Bill Peet book about the adventures of a country pigeon who visits the big city.
Homer has lived in the country all his life. He has plenty to eat, living in his barn, with bugs all around during the summer months, and having plenty of chicken feed in the winter. He's a bit lonely, but content to live where he is. Then, one day, a sparrow gets blown in by a storm, and tells him all about the big city, where he lives. Excited, Homer decides to visit, but finds that city life it isn't exactly to his liking. But will Homer get home again, with so many dangers all around?
Another great Bill Peet book, this time with two messages: Number one, of course, is that the grass is always greener. Homer was sure that the city would be great, but found that it involved a lot of risks. The second message is the dangers of city life, and how much better country life can be. Homer, the country pigeon, is an excellent flyer, while the other pigeons are simply too fat to fly well. In addition, the whole of Mammoth City is coated in a smog, and the sparrows are amazed at the clean air in the country.
Homer has lived in the country all his life. He has plenty to eat, living in his barn, with bugs all around during the summer months, and having plenty of chicken feed in the winter. He's a bit lonely, but content to live where he is. Then, one day, a sparrow gets blown in by a storm, and tells him all about the big city, where he lives. Excited, Homer decides to visit, but finds that city life it isn't exactly to his liking. But will Homer get home again, with so many dangers all around?
Another great Bill Peet book, this time with two messages: Number one, of course, is that the grass is always greener. Homer was sure that the city would be great, but found that it involved a lot of risks. The second message is the dangers of city life, and how much better country life can be. Homer, the country pigeon, is an excellent flyer, while the other pigeons are simply too fat to fly well. In addition, the whole of Mammoth City is coated in a smog, and the sparrows are amazed at the clean air in the country.
August 10, 2015
Like a good children's book should, "Fly Homer Fly" has great life lessons that are simplified into a beautiful short story for children. The illustrations evoke a sense of blue longing for something. Homer leaves his country home and find disillusionment with the dangerous city and its mean birds. Isn't there something to be said about all our so-called progress and our relentless search for something better when all that really matters is already at our fingertips and requires only our appreciation and attention?
MM January 15, 2007
MM January 15, 2007
May 3, 2019
Of course it's better to live in the country than in a smoggy city; but Homer doesn't know that. He's in for a little surprise but all ends well!
Ages: 4 - 8
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Ages: 4 - 8
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
February 28, 2010
Homer the country pigeon is convinced by Sparky the sparrow to come to the city with him, where Homer gets injured. Sparky and six of his friends come up with a clever plan to get Homer home safely, and decide not to return to the smoggy city, but live out their lives peacefully in the country with their new friend.
July 7, 2017
Hmm... This seems like a repeating theme in Bill Peet's books. The city is compared to country life, and found wanting. This time, it's a pigeon who journeys to the city in search of excitement, only to find smog and cutthroat competition. Will he get used to it, or make his way back to the country?
June 25, 2016
Homer, the pigeon is lonely until Sparky is blown in by a storm from the city. When Homer visits the city with Sparky, he decides city is not the place he likes to live and wants to return home. When Homer is injured Sparky and friends stage a daring rescue.
October 24, 2017
A dingy little country pigeon goes to the city to see for himself people handing out free food. But it sure isn't all it's cracked up to be, and Homer wants to go home.
Bill Peet is the only children's author that is truly adult friendly. You will laugh right along with your kids.
Bill Peet is the only children's author that is truly adult friendly. You will laugh right along with your kids.
May 2, 2010
My daughter didn't want to finish it "Mom this is boring!"
August 11, 2011
Simply love everything Bill Peet ever did.
September 22, 2014
Creative story with a fun, cartoonish solution to a seemingly impossible problem.
April 8, 2021
LOVE Bill Pete!
October 26, 2025
A country pigeon does NOT enjoy his trip to the big city! Luckily, he makes some sparrow friends who help him out.
June 22, 2016
I really liked Sparky, he was so helpful. :)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews