Q&A and Cover Reveal: Seven by Sandra Nickel

There are Q&As and cover reveals and then there are Q&As and cover reveals. But really, there’s something kind of special about revealing the cover of a book due out approximately nine months in the future. No word in the English language can describe such a feeling. It gives you a sense that you have a special knowledge. That you yourself are special because you can peer into the future and know what books are on the horizon. And while some of my readers question such early reveals, I find them lovely harbingers of the future. Posts that promise happy times to come, if only you’ve the patience to wait.

Our latest example comes in the form of the book Seven by Sandra Nickel.

In author Sandra Nickel’s own words, this is what the book’s truly about:

Out of all the stories I’ve written so far, SEVEN is the closest to my heart.

Since I was a girl, I’ve gone through periods of being intensely focused on learning about different people or things. This focus is both comforting and joyful for me. One year, I might read everything I can about Vera Rubin, the next year I might read everything I can about . . . pigeons. When I lived in Paris, I was fascinated by them. And when I discovered that pigeons mate for life and both parents raise their hatchlings together, I started reading about them nonstop.

During this same year, my daughter was diagnosed as being autistic—and I started to suspect that I, too, might be. Olivia had always struggled with being different, and so had I. We both dealt with this by masking who we are from others. So, as I was reading about pigeons, I was also thinking about what it means to be autistic and different, and how others often try to get different ones to change.

After I wrote SEVEN, I continued thinking about how different ones are portrayed in picture books and how so often they are required to change by the end of the story. Shy ones become less shy. Nervous ones become less nervous. Late bloomers catch up to the others. But, what about autistic girls? Research shows that change for them often means masking who they are, and this in turn often results in depression and anxiety. I asked myself: wouldn’t it be great to have more books where different ones stay different and that’s okay?

To answer that question, we talk to Sandra about it today:

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Betsy Bird: Sandra! Many thanks for the cover reveal of SEVEN and its pigeon-centric storytelling. I’ve often been fascinated by the ways in which we revile pigeons for, essentially, being so successful in cities. What made you want to focus on one for your story? What are SEVEN’S origins?

Sandra Nickel: One day I was reading about how pigeons “home”—how they find their way back to their nests from miles away. The traditional theories are that they memorize landmarks or have internal compasses. But then, I read this new theory that says pigeons smell their way home. A young pigeon immediately popped into my head. A pigeon who is different from the others and whose greatest joy is searching out fragrances. That pigeon is the star of SEVEN.

BB: Kids in particular have a relationship to pigeons that adults simply don’t. They’re practically on the same level, they’re in many many cities, and what kid doesn’t love launching themselves at a flock to watch them take off? The power! Did you have a special affection for them prior to writing this book? Do you have such an affection now?

Sandra: As a kid, I loved the Mary Poppins film. I was captivated by the absolute joy the Bird Woman experiences when she calls the pigeons to her. And then, of course, there are Jane and Michael, who take on the London banking establishment so that they can join in that same bliss.

I carried that joy-memory into motherhood, and when we lived in Paris, my daughter Olivia and I rarely left home without our pockets stuffed with bread to share. There is power in chasing pigeons, without a doubt, but there is also delight in getting them to rush toward you.

BB: Tell us a little bit about your pigeony research process. In the back of the book you include some additional pigeon facts. Where did you go to learn more about these birds?

Sandra: Well, everywhere! National Geographic, The New York Times, papers on ResearchGate… one article led to another and added up to a year of learning about pigeons. I then took all those pigeon facts and used them as a template for the story. The “About Pigeons” section at the end of the book is actually my way of pointing out the many ways that the pigeon world in SEVEN is true to the actual world of pigeons.

If you or your readers are looking for a fun and pro-pigeon source to peruse, checkout Pigeonpedia.

BB: At one point Seven is drawn to rice over breadcrumbs in the city and is chastized for this choice. I was surprised by the note at the end that said that rice would actually be a better choice for a pigeon since I have heard (and this could definitely be a rumor) that weddings don’t throw rice anymore because it hurts sparrows. I just assumed that the same would be true for pigeons. Did you run across that rumor at all in your research?

Sandra: I did! And the experts are quite miffed about it. Like you, I had always heard that rice is bad for birds. But, I’m delighted to tell you that the belief is completely false. In fact, plenty of birds in nature feed on rice. They digest it easily.

If you would like proof of your own—or to set up an experiment to test the bad-for-birds myth—here is a great PBS video that fully debunks the rumor.

BB: Oo! Thank you! Now let’s talk a little bit about your writing process. To what extent did the first draft of SEVEN resemble its final version? What changed along the way from how you first envisioned it?

Sandra: I’ve had plenty of stories that were crafted with mark-ups and a search for the perfect ending, but SEVEN isn’t one of them.

During the same year that I was researching pigeons, my daughter was diagnosed as being autistic. Olivia had always had unique interests and struggled with being different from others. So, as I was reading about pigeons, I was also thinking about what it means to be different and Olivia’s hope that her differentness would be accepted.

Looking back, I think Seven’s story arrived in its final form because… well, it’s Olivia’s story. As with Olivia and her special interests, I knew Seven’s love of smells would bring him difficult times. But I also knew it would bring him immense joy. And so, the story of SEVEN, A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON was born. I put it on paper. And when I finished, I dedicated it to Olivia, who is, and has always been, a most remarkable girl.

BB: Finally, what are you working on next these days?

Sandra: I’m super busy right now. I’m doing marketing things for Bear’s Big Idea (out with Lerner on September 10), working on edits for Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps (out with Peachtree in summer 2025), revising the third story in the Bear and Fish series, and, last but not least, doing research for a story that I hope will be a companion book to SEVEN. It’s about another kind of bird, but I’m keeping which one hush-hush for now.

Aaaaand, I guess that’s our last question. But before you wrap up, I want to say how much I’ve enjoyed chatting with you, Betsy! A huge thanks for your great questions and doing the cover reveal with Aimée Sicuro’s gorgeous art. I still can’t get over those dreamy colors, the Paris skyline, and that most remarkable SEVEN inviting us into his story.

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And now, for your viewing entertainment, I bring you the cover itself!

Thanks to Sandra Nickel for answering my questions today (and for letting me know about the strange lack of female bears in picture books – it’s SO true!) and thanks to Sarah Shealy and the folks at Blue Slip Media for setting this up. You can find Seven on bookstore and library shelves everywhere April 15, 2025 (you read that right, folks) so be patient.

Filed under: Interviews