A PIGEON IN PARIS

In a parable of persistence and tough love, adorable, anthropomorphized pigeons underscore the importance of positivity.

Sporting a purple bow around her neck, Mama pigeon flies in from parts unknown, and before we even see eggs, three babies appear: Chérie, Bisou, and Petite. Her siblings begin learning to fly, but Petite finds it impossible and decides that she will not. Mama cradles and indulges her, but in the morning, Petite finds herself alone in the nest. To her cries of hunger, her mother responds: Fly or wait for Mama to return. She waits. The next morning, fog seems a good excuse to stay in, but Mama tells her that, cloudy or sunny, pigeons must fly. Petite tries again, and Voila! Suddenly the sight of the distant nest causes her to plummet. Her siblings shout “Fly” and “Flap your wings,” and Petite triumphs. A final spread underscores the heavy-handedly delivered lesson: Negative thinking is bad, positive thinking is good, and encouragement is all you need to succeed. The supersweet illustrations focus on the airbrushed nest, the pastel sky, and the cute pigeons, who have expressive eyebrows above their round eyes. Defying gravity, the nest perches precariously on the end of a branch. The setting could be any city; nothing in the artwork evokes Paris but a couple of misty Eiffel Tower outlines. There’s no missing the story’s point, however. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Cheerful but preachy exhortation to leave the nest.