Today we’re celebrating the Book Birthday of Sandra Nickel‘s latest picture book,
SEVEN, A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON,
illustrated by Aimée Sicuro (Candlewick),
which releases May 6th. (Still time to pre-order.)
About the Book:
A young pigeon shows that the ways in which we are different
can also be the ways in which we become heroes.
“An uplifting tale that celebrates difference.”–KIRKUS REVIEWS
A “soaring celebration of individuality.”—BOOKLIST
You may remember Sandra Nickel from her Book Birthday blog celebration last fall for BEAR’S BIG IDEA. We are always happy to chat with her here on the blog. Welcome, Sandra!
Let’s ask some questions:
The Beginning…
Q 1. I read that you were inspired to write SEVEN after your daughter was diagnosed as being autistic, and you realized –contrary to most picture books about girls who change in some way by the end of the book — change for a girl who is autistic “often means masking who they are, and this in turn often results in depression and anxiety.”
I love that SEVEN evolved when you asked yourself, “wouldn’t it be great to have more books where different ones stay different and that’s okay?” What was the process like after that? Can you tell us more about SEVEN’s journey to become a book?
Sandra Nickel: At the same time I was thinking about kids who are different, I was researching pigeons. When I read that pigeons almost always arrive in the world two at a time, I knew I had my story! A story about only one pigeon arriving and what happens when he becomes more and more different with each turn of the page.
written by Sandra Nickel (Candlewick).
Q 2. Did your daughter, Olivia, work on the book with you?
Sandra Nickel: What an astute question! I was visiting Olivia at college when I started writing SEVEN. She was my biggest cheerleader and also the best consultant a writer can have. I bounced ideas off of her and she read the first rough drafts. Because she was such an integral part to my writing SEVEN, I very proudly dedicated the book to her.
Quelle Surprise!
Q 3. What surprises did illustrator Aimée Sicuro bring to the project?
Sandra Nickel: I first fell in love with pigeons in Paris, where I lived for four years. I never mentioned that to Aimée. I don’t even think she knew I lived in Paris for a time. But guess where she set SEVEN? You guessed it! I was amazed and delighted to discover that she magically illustrated Seven and his pigeon world in the City of Lights, with its blue-grey rooftops and beautiful pinky glow.
written by Sandra Nickel (Candlewick).
Q 4. What is your favorite spread?
Sandra Nickel: That’s a tough one. A really tough one. Aimée did such a magnificent job! Some of my favorites come at the end of the story, but I don’t want to spoil the ending. So, I’m going to share this one, from the title page, where Seven is in his own dreamy world with delicious-smelling fragrances. It captures our sweet hero so well!
Interior illustration by Aimée Sicuro from SEVEN, A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON,
written by Sandra Nickel (Candlewick).
Takeaways
Q 5. What do you hope readers will take away from this heartfelt book?
Sandra Nickel: It can be tough being a kid. There is so much pressure to be like everyone else. I hope readers, especially readers who feel they are different, will take courage to be themselves. I hope they’ll see that there is not only joy in being different, but there are also benefits that come along with having gifts that are different than those of others.
What’s next?
Q 6. Are there more projects in the queue that you can share?
Sandra Nickel: There are! Coming out on June 24 from Peachtree is MAKING LIGHT BLOOM (illus. Julie Paschkis), which tells the story of Clara Driscoll, the hidden genius behind the Tiffany lamps. With it, I continue my mission to celebrate extraordinary individuals who have been nearly forgotten by history.
And then, coming in Spring 2026 is THE TRUE UGLY DUCKLING, HOW HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN BECAME A SWAN, a biography about a young Andersen, written in fairytale form.
We can’t wait!
Flocks of gratitude to Sandra Nickel
for celebrating SEVEN, A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON with us today.
Happy Book Birthday!
To learn more about Sandra Nickel and her books,
check out her web site: sandranickel.com
And follow her on social media:
Twitter: @senickel
Insta: sandranickelbooks
LinkedIn: sandranickel
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/senickel.bsky.social
Next up on the blog:
We chat with Marsha Diane Arnold about
Big Boy 4014 and the Steam Team: The World’s Largest Steam Engine Roars Back to Life!
illustrated by Adam Gustavson (Sleeping Bear Press).
Sandra, congratulations on Seven. I have a very funny and embarrassing story from when my girls were little involving pigeons. I had no idea that they would be so accustomed to people that when I told my daughter “if you can catch one, you can bring it home” would immediately be followed by me telling her to put it down! Yes, another fine parenting moment. And your upcoming book, Making Light Bloom also sounds fantastic since I love Tiffany lamps! Congratulations!!