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BEN and SARA DONOVAN live in a small community called Wolfe Lake with their two daughters, six year old MEGAN and eight year old KATIE. 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 housewife and 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 nurse’s him back to health. When healed and turned loose the crow does not return to the wild. He chooses to remain with the family. They name him Al and he becomes one of their pets.

The family had become used to Polly’s chatter but a week later they’re amazed when Al speaks. Their everyday life, as they know it, is about to take an abrupt and hilarious change. From that day forward nothing is the same, in the Donovan household, as Al becomes a funny and mischievous character.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

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, 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 bird injured 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, as well. Even though I adored every funny and sad scene, there were unfortunately several editing mistakes. That said, I recommend another editing pass.

Though the story needed more TLC, it is still a remarkable chapter book. I recommend sharing with your children, ages 5-10.

Author’s note: “Polly, Stubby & Al is a true story. It’s about my grandparents and their two young daughters, who are my mother and aunt. It took place in the 1920s.”

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

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