Published: Nov. 24, 2010
Words: 42,043 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452374727

Short description

Everyday life with an African Grey Parrot seen through the humorous and often twisted mind of his owner, Georgi. Her interesting perspectives on animal intellect and unique insights into nature take the reader on a thought provoking, entertaining and often hilarious ride. The star of the book, Pickles, takes his adventures in stride with wit and charm.

Extended description

Still though, there were days he was good about going in the cage and I had no problem locking him in so one day I had some shopping to do and was gone for about 45 minutes. Upon my return, I thought it curious that I wasn't greeted with Pickles' usual "Mama's home! Hello baby!" so I walked into the living room to investigate.
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I realized my very, very, VERY worst fear had become a reality. I stood, dumbfounded, gaping at an empty cage. Somebody broke in the house and stole him.

Then I noticed the cage door. hmmm. What kinda self-respecting thief would steal a parrot and take the time to lock the cage door in the open position? Damn, I'd gone out and forgot to put Pickles in his cage. My relief quickly turned to worry though because he wasn't anywhere in sight. (Read more) Still though, there were days he was good about going in the cage and I had no problem locking him in so one day I had some shopping to do and was gone for about 45 minutes. Upon my return, I thought it curious that I wasn't greeted with Pickles' usual "Mama's home! Hello baby!" so I walked into the living room to investigate.
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I realized my very, very, VERY worst fear had become a reality. I stood, dumbfounded, gaping at an empty cage. Somebody broke in the house and stole him.

Then I noticed the cage door. hmmm. What kinda self-respecting thief would steal a parrot and take the time to lock the cage door in the open position? Damn, I'd gone out and forgot to put Pickles in his cage. My relief quickly turned to worry though because he wasn't anywhere in sight.

I began my search, looking for signs of a poop trail. I'm calling for him and his silence conjures up images of an electrified bird lying in a smoking heap behind the couch (having chewed through an electric cord). My grasping mind tells me "it's okay, you know how he clams up in impish delight while enjoying an impromptu game of hide-and-seek" but I'm uneasy non-the-less.

As I'm on my hands and knees, peering under a couch, I hear a VERY distinctive nose laugh. You know the sound - when someone is laughing through their nose with their mouth closed. I look up from my crouched position, into the kitchen about 6 feet away and there, smack dab in the middle of the dictionary stand, roosts a smartass little Grey.

"Pickles!" I exclaim.

"What's up?" he queries with a twinkle in his eye.

"I've been looking all over for you!" I reply.

"Huh?" he asks.

"You heard me." I said, which triggers more nose laughing and some gleeful head bobbing.

As I walked toward him he commanded, "Step up" as his little footsie was waving in the air in anticipation of my hand and a free ride home - or so I thought.

The moment he stepped up on my hand, he flung himself upside down exclaiming "Upside down bird!" I told him to get back up as I righted him with my other hand. After momentarily obliging, he promptly fell over once again. He thought this a delightful little game and continued to fall over like some stinkin' drunk.

So there I am, walking around with an upside down bird on my hand, telling him to get back up and he's piping "get back up!" right back at me. I carry this lippy, drunken bird to the cage and try to set him down gently on his back but he just lies there clinging to my finger. I try to pry his talons off but they just dig in deeper.

I give up, sit on the couch and place him on his back in my lap, between my legs. He lies there, trying to outlast me. Eventually he says "ticko, ticko, ticko" so I tickle his belly. He gets so excited that he releases his hold but is now stuck on his back like a turtle, waving his feet frantically in the air. I don't help the little stinker. Instead, I sit there and nose laugh.
All this time I had thought Pickles was getting his vocabulary from me. As it turned out, he'd been reading the dictionary behind my back.
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Tags

funny, stories, pickles, humorous, parrot, african grey

Available ebook reading formats

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Format	Full Book
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Buy
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Buy
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	Buy

Reviews

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Review by: Crystal Heck on July 23, 2012 :
Thank you Georgi and Pickles for the great laughs. I have parrots and I could definitely relate to the stories. I really enjoyed reading about Pickles' antics.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Marti LeMay on Aug. 25, 2011 :
Wonderful book! We have parrots, and 2 of them are greys--we can totally relate to the antics of Pickles and his 'parronts'. Parrots are so intelligent, funny, and entertaining as pets. Like potato chips, you can't have just one :0)
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Alessa Adamo on June 12, 2011 :
Pickles is intelligent & funny. His antics really crack me up even though I don't fish and don't own a bird (I have two cats), Pickles' adventures are so heartwarming that anyone can relate. Great read.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Daf11 on June 12, 2011 :
Great book. Captures the personality and intelligence of a parrot. Funny and informative. A quick read, highly recommended for parrot owners, or those thinking of owning a parrot.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Albert Robbins on May 24, 2011 :
This book is so laugh out loud funny you will need to blink through the tears in your eyes to read it. The fishing tips will actually help and the story will give you some alone time with your feathered friends. I recommend you buy and recommend that you read it aloud to any pet bird you have.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Linda Strathdee on May 21, 2011 : (no rating)
There are parrot books and there are parrot books, but Pickles the Parrot is at the top of my list of favourites. Even non-parrot people will laugh out loud at Pickles' antics and wonder at his intelligence and uncanny ability to express just the right sentiment in any situation. Can't wait for the second book! Two talons up!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Carol Welch on March 19, 2011 : (no rating)
As an African Grey owner, I loved reading about Pickles antics. I enjoyed the stories, but wish she'd given me a little help on how I could corral my own African Grey. It is a great book and I highly recommend it to all.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Terre Spencer on March 05, 2011 : (no rating)
Fishing advice from a parrot?

You betcha! I read this book aloud to my two parrots and laughed so hard through the story of Pickles giving fishermen advice on bait I dropped the book twice. Who says a parrot cannot know anything about fishing? Pickles sure does!

In fact, Pickles has advice/an opinion on nearly everything and this slim volume will entertain and delight every reader who has ever seen a pet parrot deftly manipulate their humans into complete compliance. And then equally deftly begin on everyone else they come in contact with.

Deliciously funny and chock full of stories well-told, Pickles the Parrot is about negotiating relationships between quite different species, parrots and humans. Always warm and peppered with humor, the book kept me chuckling to the very end.

Pickles, you've won my heart and I look forward to more from you and your mom, Georgi Abbott, a gifted writer who should be getting at least a three-book deal posthaste. Pickles, you might want to nudge the publishers in your very charming manner, eh? :)

P.S. It turns out that Pickles gave excellent fishing advice. You will NOT want to miss one word of Pickles the Parrot!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Dawn Plummer on Jan. 14, 2011 : (no rating)
I loved this book!
The story of Pickles from when he was picked up to be taken to his new home as a baby, until the present, 8 years later. This is well written and entertaining. It not only includes humourous episodes with Pickles but also talks about the reality of having a parrot as a pet and all it entails. Owning an African Grey myself, I really appreciate this book.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Florida Town on Dec. 29, 2010 : (no rating)
I've seen parrots before - they're colourful, they make funny noises, they can imitate sounds and even spout a few words. At least, that's what I thought until I read this book. Pickles, the parrot, isn't just repeating words - he's thinking and being creative. He's stubborn, he's funny, he's demanding, he's intelligent - and he's not your average pet. You'll have a whole new view of parrots when you finish reading these engaging tales - and you might ask yourself, what does Pickles think about his owners? It would be a fair question, because he has an opinion on everything else. A warm and funny book, suitable for all ages.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Tamber King on Nov. 24, 2010 :
A sweet, funny, and absolutely charming book. Through the stories of Pickle's adventures with his family, you are left with a true and endearing sense of what it is like to live with these brilliant and sometimes seemingly human birds. There was a smile and chuckle to be had on every page! A must for any pet owner who appreciates the intricate relationships owners have with their pets!
(reviewed the day of purchase)

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