Coo by Kaela Noel
Published by Greenwillow Books on March 3, 2020
ISBN: 0062955977
Pages: 432
Genres: Animals, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
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If there was a genre called charming fantasy, Coo would be the first novel on the list.   A girl rescued and raised by pigeons seems to be an unlikely plot, but then again, why not?  Readers will be delighted with the story line as they learn about pigeon lifestyle and human compassion.  Noel gently introduces readers to a wild child with descriptive words that express Coo’s loyalty and exposes her heart of gold. What is intensely interesting is that Coo cannot speak a word of English and therefor is unable too communicate with humans. Another central character is equally treated well in the text; Tully’s love of birds is well defined and her understanding of human behavior saves the day.

Although 407 pages are daunting the large font accounts for easy and fast reading for grades 4-6 students.  This title would make a wonderful family read aloud for younger readers and is recommended for parent/child book groups.  Librarians will want to place this new author’s work on the shelves of public and intermediate school libraries.   As a first novel this is a memorable read that is sure to lead to future titles.

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME.