Summer Reading with a Crime-Solving Pigeon: Homer is on the Case!

Your animal-filled summer reading adventure continues with an action-packed tale loaded with plenty of mystery, adventure, and… pigeons? Homer the crime-solving homing pigeon is on the case!

Homing pigeon Homer spends his days in the sky, getting a bird’s-eye view of his neighborhood, and testing his homing abilities with his human Otto. Living in a cozy cage on top of Otto’s building, all Homer knows of crime and mystery comes from the detectives stories on the newspaper clippings lining his cage. That is, until he spies some four-legged criminals stealing from both animals and humans in the neighborhood’s usually peaceful park. Homer can’t wait for the chance to solve the mystery and enlists the help of his parrot friend Lulu to stop these fowl thieves. Can Homer and Lulu lead their human keepers to the culprits’ hideout and stop the thieves for good?

From award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole comes a page-turning middle grade mystery that will keep readers guessing if the crime-solving pigeon will get his guy and wishing they could join in this suspenseful hunt. Perfect for summer book clubs and middle grade read alouds!

Lead a mystery-filled summer book club with the downloadable discussion guide!

Learn to draw Homer with author-illustrator Henry Cole in this video, and learn more about Henry’s inspiration for the book in this Q&A!

“Cole’s gentle animal fantasies can always be depended upon, and this light mystery is just right for young readers…. Cole mixes humor with intrigue to keep the narrative bouncing along, and readers will get a kick out of the unusual detective team… Hand this to fans of Chris Riddell’s Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (2008) and A. B. Greenfield’s Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective (2018).” —Booklist

“Engaging… The birds’ exploits are surprisingly believable and enjoyable to follow in Homer’s first-person narration…. Who doesn’t love smart, friendly birds on a secret mission?” —Kirkus Reviews

“Chirpy… Cole (Brambleheart) richly imbues the narrative with sensory details… The expressive b&w pencil illustrations, rendered in panels evoking newspaper comics, heighten drama, tension, and humor.” —Publishers Weekly