- Picture Books
- Ages 5–9
- Contemporary
King of the Sky
A tender picture book about a homesick immigrant boy who finds belonging through an old man's racing pigeons. Laura Carlin's dusky illustrations make a quiet, moving story about home and hope.
- Best for5–9
- FormatPicture
- Length56 pp
- Read aloud~11 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Lyrical
- Literary
Tone
- Gentle
- Bittersweet
- Heartwarming
- Melancholic
- Inspirational
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
A young boy has moved to a new country, a grey mining town where nothing feels like home and the language and the hills all seem strange. He feels lost and far from everything he loves, until he befriends Mr Evans, an old man next door who keeps and races pigeons. Together they pin their hopes on one special bird flying a great race across Europe, a pigeon they name King of the Sky. As the boy waits and watches the sky, he begins to understand that home is something you can find again, and that he too can belong here. Nicola Davies tells the story with quiet, aching warmth, and Laura Carlin, a Bologna Ragazzi and V&A prize-winning illustrator, fills the pages with smudged, dreamlike art full of longing and light. A beautiful, gentle book about migration, friendship across generations, and the slow work of making a new place your own.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A read-aloud for 5-9s that rewards discussion, with confident readers of 6-9 able to manage the text alone. Its quiet themes of homesickness and belonging suit thoughtful children and reward an adult reading alongside.
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- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 5–9
- Read aloud · 5–9
- Independent · 6–9
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: poverty or hardship.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Migration stories
- Empathy building
- New to a country
- Read aloud
Avoid if
- Wants upbeat story
- Sensitive to homesickness
Particularly good for children who are…
- Immigration or new country
- Moving house
- Making friends
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The boy's loneliness is real and recognisable, and the racing pigeons give him something to hope for and belong to. Children feel the wait for King of the Sky's return keenly, and share the boy's quiet joy when he starts to feel at home.
- Friendship and belonging
- Having a wise mentor
Why parents love it
A beautifully written, beautifully illustrated book about migration and homesickness that never talks down to children. Laura Carlin's art is exceptional, and the friendship between the boy and Mr Evans opens gentle conversations about home and welcome.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Cultural representation
About the creators
About the creators.
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