Ondu-ahlem goes to school every morning and spends his afternoons shining shoes in the market area to earn some spending money. Busy as he is, his thoughts are never far from the homing pigeons he is raising. He spends most of his free time caring for them--checking on the eggs that are just about ready to hatch and protecting them from the pesky mongoose who visits frequently at night. Inspired by the experiences of a real boy Jane and Christopher Kurtz met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the story captures the child's deep devotion to his pigeons. E.B. Lewis's rich watercolor illustrations shimmer with small details of Ondu-ahlem's everyday life. (Ages 4-8)