Cher Ami: Based on the World War I Legend of the Fearless Pigeon

by Mélisande Potter, Giselle Potter (Illustrator)

Overview

An inspiring picture book that explores the true story of Cher Ami: a heroic messenger pigeon who saved the lives of soldiers during World War I. 

In October 1918, during World War I, nearly seven hundred American soldiers were trapped behind enemy lines with no prospect of rescue. Allied troops did not have access to their location, and every attempt at communication provoked more casualties. Their only hope—to dispatch a trained messenger pigeon to reach help miles away. 

This unforgettable story celebrates courage and determination in its most vulnerable form. Cher Ami was shot down during her mission yet managed to save many lives, proving her fearless flight was a remarkable one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316335348
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	118,555
Product dimensions:	8.85(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.65(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Mélisande and Giselle Potter are a mother-and-daughter team who have created numerous books individually, but Cher Ami marks their first collaboration. Mélisande is the illustrator of Pizza for the Queen by Nancy Castaldo. In London where Mélisande lives, a perky little pigeon often perches on her thumb to eat scone crumbs at teatime. Her attachment to this friendly bird led to a curiosity about pigeons and the discovery of Cher Ami’s story. Giselle has illustrated over thirty books, including The Boy Who Loved Words, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner. Giselle lives in the Hudson Valley with her family and their recently adopted dog, Lottie, who was found in the woods. Giselle isn’t sure if they saved Lottie or if Lottie saved them, with her sweet, loving nature. She invites you to visit her at gisellepotter.com.

Editorial Reviews

06/13/2022

First-time mother-daughter collaborators Mélisande and Giselle Potter recount the true story of a homing pigeon named Cher Ami in this WWI-focused picture book, per an author’s note “a blend of truth and legend.” Beginning with the bird’s life on an English farm and subsequent call to duty, the book walks through her intensive training regimen and arrival as a messenger in France for the United States Army, whose service members are largely portrayed as white. The story’s dramatic climax arrives when the injured bird completes a 25-mile mid-battle flight, “alone like a little boat in a big, dark sea,” to transport an urgent, life-saving message. Vivid prose voices the pigeon’s imagined experience: “She would not give up! Her whole body ached as she tried to lift her wings.” Presented in watercolor and ink with mottled brown wings and a luminescent throat, Cher Ami makes for a handsomely anthropomorphized heroine; her ordeal, as sympathetically captured by the creators, provides a bird’s-eye view of war’s realities. Creators’ notes and sources conclude. Ages 6–9. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Cher Ami:
An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Selection
An MASL Dogwood Readers Award 

"Young readers will cheer for Cher Ami, who, delightfully, was fitted with a tiny wooden leg and received the Croix de Guerre."—The Wall Street Journal

"Mélisande Potter’s text is concise, dramatic, and compelling, entirely matched by Giselle Potter’s art—evocative watercolors that convey setting beautifully while always keeping the valiant pigeon center stage."
 —The Horn Book

"Lovingly crafted…. The author creates a real sense of drama when Cher Ami performs her famous flight—an act made all the more suspenseful by the dynamic illustrations. An uplifting piece of history that children will love."—Booklist

"First-time mother-daughter collaborators Mélisande and Giselle Potter recount the true story of a homing pigeon named Cher Ami in this WWI-focused picture book…. Presented in watercolor and ink with mottled brown wings and a luminescent throat, Cher Ami makes for a handsomely anthropomorphized heroine; her ordeal, as sympathetically captured by the creators, provides a bird’s-eye view of war’s realities."—Publishers Weekly

"A fresh tribute to the renowned avian wounded warrior…. A tale worth the telling."—Kirkus Reviews

"Engaging watercolor and ink artwork that portrays Cher Ami at her valorous best will rivet the picture book audience, making this a useful Veterans Day centerpiece, when strict veracity might briefly take a backseat to a rousing war story."—BCCB

"Cher Ami is a war hero who also happens to be a pigeon. With thoughtful illustrations and sensitive text, this work offers younger students a glimpse of what life was like for soldiers in World War I and the dangers they faced in the trenches. For animal lovers or budding historians, this book is sure to be a hit with young readers."—School Library Journal

"Descriptive and precise…. There are few books for younger readers about this period in history, and by making the main character an animal, and deemphasizing the horrors of war, this book manages to make the subject palatable for this age range."—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

06/01/2022

Gr 1–4—Cher Ami is a war hero who also happens to be a pigeon. With thoughtful illustrations and sensitive text, this work offers younger students a glimpse of what life was like for soldiers in World War I and the dangers they faced in the trenches. It's also a thorough history lesson, explaining the training methods for homing pigeons, entertaining readers with the mostly true story of a very brave pigeon, and the soldiers who loved her. With war as the backdrop, there is suspense that may be unsettling for some children, but students from about second grade on will adore the story of Cher Ami. The illustrations authentically convey the emotions of soldiers on the battlefield without being overly frightening. The author's notes are as interesting as the story itself, so remind readers not to skip those. VERDICT For animal lovers or budding historians, this book is sure to be a hit with young readers.—Darby Wallace

School Library Journal

2022-03-30
A fresh tribute to the renowned avian wounded warrior.

Admitting in an afterword that she’s invented details to fill out the “legend,” the author recounts in simple language how the eponymous homing pigeon was trained to carry messages from the front during the First World War and, despite enduring wounds, most famously delivered one that saved almost 200 U.S. doughboys from friendly fire. Her daughter Giselle invents details, too—starting with depicting the bird as much more brightly colored and patterned than she actually was (which does have the effect of making her stand out on the page and among other pigeons) and, in a bit of revisionist history, portraying American soldiers both on and behind the line of battle in racially integrated units. Though similar to Robert Burleigh’s Fly, Cher Ami, Fly (2008, illustrated by Robert Mackenzie) both in the factual embroidery and in the manufactured quality of some of the drama (“Each boom and bang was deafening. Cher Ami was not afraid.”), this does tell the tale in a more complete way by including the feathered messenger’s subsequent doctoring and artificial leg in the main narrative rather than relegating it to a small-type appendix. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A tale worth the telling, though the artistic license is considerably overstretched. (source list) (Informational picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews