03 Mar / Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji, illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff [in What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature]
Gay-Neck, an especially talented pigeon, is the pride of his owner, a young Indian boy from Calcutta. The bird spends a summer in the Himalayan mountains, honing his skills, and eventually proves to be a hero transporting secret messages during the final days of the World War I.
Gay-Neck made everlasting literary history when it won the 1928 Newbery Medal, making it the first Asian American title to receive the highest honor in the U.S. for children’s literature.
Review: “Asian American Titles,” What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature, Gale Research, 1997
Readers: Middle Grade
Published: 1927