Kutztown illustrator Kevin McCloskey’s new children’s book “The Real Poop on Pigeons,” has been named as recommended reading by the New York Public Library.
“After the success of We Dig Worms! the publisher asked me to create another book about a common, but misunderstood creature,” he said. “The reviews have been good.”
New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids committee read and reviewed 2016 titles. The Real Poop on Pigeons was one of their favorite new comics and graphic novels. View the list at http://www.nypl.org/…/nypl-recommends-graphic-novels-kids.
McCloskey and his new book have been visiting schools, libraries and bookstores near and far. Locally, he presented at the Kutztown University Children’s Literature Conference, Firefly Bookstore and Kutztown Community Block Party.
“I’ve visited inner-city schools in Washington, D.C. through an organization called An Open Book Foundation which buys books for kids who generally don’t own books.”
This month he exhibits pigeon art at The Hoboken Historical Museum & Cultural Center in New Jersey through July 3. The exhibition includes images from his chapbook The Pigeon Guys, as well as artwork from The Real Poop on Pigeons.
On June 22, he headed to Orlando, Florida for the American Library Association convention. On Aug. 2 he visits Ephrata Public Library.
“I feel so blessed that my books are popular with children,” he said.
His wife Patt, known by young readers as Mama Patt, is a traveling storyteller for the Berks County Library System.
“She is a great help when I visit classrooms. For example, I have a stuffed pigeon I wear on my hat. I think it looks silly, but Patt reminds me that kids love silly, so I wear it.”
McCloskey describes “The Real Poop on Pigeons” as an informational book.
“It’s not exactly nonfiction, because I created a story to present real information about pigeons,” he said. “The lesson is no matter where you live, there is nature near you worth caring about.”
What makes this a fun read is that “the story revolves around a flock of children dressed as pigeons teaching an older couple amazing facts about pigeons.”
“Kids love to know facts, and they are delighted when they can educate an older person.”
The inspiration for the book is two fold.
During a family trip to Trafalgar Square, London in 1986, McCloskey was reaching into his pocket for change to buy seed packets when the pigeons flew to him.
“I didn’t even have any pigeon food,” he said. “They landed on my two-year-old daughter who has disliked pigeons ever since.”
He was also inspired by a drawing he drew of a man with pigeons on his roof for a guide to Hoboken he wrote in 1986. At the time, he lived in Hoboken, N.J.
“Because of that picture the Hoboken Historical Museum thought of me when they did an interview with Vinnie Torre, one of the last pigeons guys in Hoboken.”
In 2010, McCloskey illustrated a chapbook about Vinnie and his girlfriend Lynne Earing, called The Pigeon Guys. His 1986 watercolor was used on the cover.
“The Pigeon Guys” is available free as an ebook from the Hoboken Museum. For more information, visit https://www.hobokenmuseum.org/history/oral-history-project/109-pigeon-guys.
“I spent the day with Vinnie at his loft and he told me amazing things about pigeons. I kept that information in the back of my head. Then last year after my book We Dig Worms sold so well, Francoise Mouly at Toon Books said she wanted another book.”
We Dig Worms was selected by the School Library Journal as one of the 10 best graphic books for kids of 2015.
“She actually suggested birds, and I remembered some of the amazing things Vinnie told me,” he said. “Of course, I did more research, but that is how I came to write the Real Poop on Pigeons.”
We Dig Worms, his first book for Toon Books, is still selling well.
“It gets a boost every year at Earth Day.”
Toon Books has asked McCloskey to do a third book.
“So I have a hit series.”The Real Poop on Pigeons is available at Firefly Books, The Kutztown University Bookstore, and wherever books are sold. Visit the Toon Books page about the book at http://www.toon-books.com/the-real-poop-on-pigeons.html.
Correction: Article previously published online incorrectly stated that the book was listed on New York Public Library’s summer reading list. New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids committee read and reviewed 2016 titles. The Real Poop on Pigeons was one of their favorite new comics and graphic novels. View the list at http://www.nypl.org/…/nypl-recommends-graphic-novels-kids.
