Holly lives in Minnesota with Karon and Ernie (Cooper’s Cutie, August 2014).
Holly was adopted after Ernie lost his buddy, Bert, to a sudden illness. Holly had also lost her cage mate, and her former owner no longer wanted to keep her.
Holly is a sweet, fearless, smart and very curious girl who adored Ernie from the minute she met him.
She loves her mash, especially apples. And she loves exploring all over even in spots that are supposed to be off limits.
She and Ernie love their afternoon naps on the shadow box and playing with all kinds of toys.
Ernie was so sad before we found Holly but now he sings and chatters all the time. They are so cute together and we are so lucky to have our sweet baby girl for her first Christmas.
Cooper thinks this is a great book for anyone considering a bird as a pet. It has information on choosing and cleaning a cage, what to feed (and not feed) your bird, handling your pet, etc. The book is filled with cute illustrations (by Rick Peterson) and photos. Some of the photos are by Cooper’s friend Karon Dubke. 
Cooper was excited to see Karon’s budgies, Bert and Ernie, in the book. She also liked that the book states that animal shelters and rescues are the best places to get new pets. Cooper agrees with the author that budgies need lots of toys – and that you don’t need to wait for your bird’s birthday to buy new ones!
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If you want to see some gorgeous photos while learning about parrots, then Pet Parrots Up Close is the book for you! This book is aimed at younger readers. Each page has a description and close-up photo of parrot anatomy (tails, eyes, beaks, etc.). 
Cooper’s favorite parts of the book were the photos of her budgie friends Bert and Ernie. So handsome! She loved how colorful and detailed the photographs were. As a former preschool teacher, I loved how informative this book was. The large photos make it perfect for circle time or for children to pour over on their own. Cooper and and the flock give this book 5 stars!
*Cooper is hoping for a follow-up book: All About Budgies!
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Bert and Ernie live in Minnesota with Karon.
At the window, their favorite spot to sit and these cute little faces greet me everyday when I get home from work. 
Ernie sitting by the door in the morning, he is always the first one out of the cage.
Bert by the bells-his favorite napping spot. 
Preening on the top of the cage after our Sunday bath, just to make sure the feathers go everywhere! 
Ernie chewing the shoelace on the cage, for a boy he loves to chew on things! 
These two would be lost without each other! They make me laugh everyday and for as messy as they are, they give us 10 times the joy.
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