Reviews of Polly, Stubby, and Al, by D.B. Silvis.
Buy Polly, Stubby, and Al now.
Reviewed by: Kameron Brook
I’ve been writing reviews for over a decade and don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
This chapter book will make you laugh, make you cry, & might prompt
you to search for crow talking videos. Suggested reading age is 5-10
years.
Ben and Sara Donovan live in a small community called Wolfe Lake with
their daughters, Megan, 6, and Katie, 8. They have two pets: Polly, a
multi-colored talking parrot, and Stubby, a tan-colored, bowlegged
bulldog. Ben owns a small landscaping business. Sara is a stay-at-home
parent and an animal lover. One day, Sara, Megan, Katie, and Stubby
are walking in the woods. They see an injured black crow lying on the
ground. Sara picks up the crow, takes him home, and mends him back to
health. The crow does not return to the wild when healed and turned
loose. He chose to remain with the family. Sara names him Al, and he
becomes one of their pets. The family had become used to Polly’s
chatter, but a week later, it amazed them when Al spoke. Their
everyday life, as they know it, is about to undergo a drastic and
hilarious transformation. From that day forward, nothing is the same
in the Donovan household, as Al becomes a funny and mischievous
character.
Polly, Stubby & Al will make you laugh, make you cry, and might prompt
your children to ask for a pet crow, and not just any ordinary crow,
but one with a split tongue. Why this particular kind of crow, you may
ask? We quickly learn that a crow’s split tongue enables them to
speak. This ability generated many humorous scenes with Al, the
talking crow, as the main star. Al wasn’t the only chatterbox in the
Donovan household; Polly, the parrot, also entertained the family with
their words. The real, unexpected jaw-dropping moment was when the
parrot altered their voice to sound like Mama Sara and Al. They used
this talent to prank the crow and Stubby, the bowlegged bulldog. Too
funny.
Many families have dogs as pets. Some homes might even have a parrot,
but a crow isn’t your typical idea of a family pet. So, how did Al,
the crow, find his way into their family? It was a chance encounter.
Sara saw the injured bird and nursed it back to health. She intended
for him to live out in the wild; however, Al had other plans, and the
family soon discovered he was indeed a very special bird. Al enjoyed
joining Megan and Katie at the lake as the young sisters fished. He
came when Mama Sara called his name. The crow’s word choices and his
mischievous antics were very entertaining to watch.
Al’s naughtiness will have you laughing. If the text doesn’t make you
giggle, some of the colorful illustrations will. As I said in the
introduction, this story will make you laugh, but it’ll also make some
cry. The storm scene was very moving. I cried when Al cried out for
“Mama.” I figured he would be saved, but the journey to their reunion
and then the reunion itself had me reaching for tissues again and
again. Maybe they will for you, too. Even though I adored every funny
and sad scene, there were unfortunately several editing mistakes. That
said, I recommend another editing pass.