On the Road to Mr. Mineo's by Barbara O'Connor

On the Road to Mr. Mineo's by Barbara O'Connor, 2012.

In a small town in South Carolina, Sherman, a one legged homecoming pigeon, doesn't return home with his flock and causes ripples in the community. He belongs with Mr. Mineo and his fat dog Ernie, and they are none too happy about his disappearance. Neither is his allegedly bad-tempered pigeon friend Amy. Sherman makes the acquaintance of many people in town, but he won't settle down with any of them and he won't go home. Soon, everybody is out looking for him. There is young Stella, who really wants a dog, but will settle for a pet bird, and her friend Gerald, who is rather timid and reluctantly goes along with her schemes. Stella's contrary brother Levi and his trouble making friends C.J. and Jiggs want to catch Sherman first. Town liar Mutt wants to find him to prove to his family that this time he is telling the truth. The arguing married couple Amos and Ethel end up looking for him and the little brown dog whose been visiting their barn at night and keeping them up with his barking. And Luther and Edsel just want to go fishing, but Edsel's hunk of junk delivery van is giving them problems.

In sixty three brief chapters, O'Connor tells the stories of each of these characters as they meet and pursue Sherman, that "dern fool bird." Naturally, they all come together at the end and things end up just as they should.  Readers will feel satisfied by this sweet and amusing book.