The true story of the wild parrot who inspired a children's book loved by families everywhere
Yes, Wookiwoo is completely real. He is not a character invented for a story. He is a wild parrot who lived in the hills of Malibu, California, and whose visits to author Darren Perman's neighborhood left a lasting impression that eventually became one of the most heartwarming children's picture books about love, friendship, and letting go.
The story of Wookiwoo is a story about real connection: the kind that happens unexpectedly, between a person and a wild creature, and that teaches something profound about love without conditions or expectations.
Southern California is home to one of the most remarkable wildlife stories in the United States: wild parrots. Descended from escaped or released pet birds, flocks of wild parrots have established themselves across Los Angeles County, from Pasadena to the Pacific Palisades, from San Pedro to the hills above Malibu.
These birds, most commonly Red-crowned Amazons, Mitred Conures, and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets, have thrived in the warm California climate for decades. They travel in noisy, colorful flocks, roosting in tall palms and eucalyptus trees, and their bright green plumage and loud calls make them impossible to miss. For residents who grew up hearing them, the sound of a parrot flock overhead is as much a part of Southern California as the Pacific Ocean itself.
Wookiwoo was one of these birds, a wild parrot who, like many of his kind, had found a home in the trees and skies above Malibu. He was part of a flock, traveling with his family, and it was the sound of that flock, the calls, the movement from tree to tree, the sense of life and freedom in the air, that first caught Darren Perman's attention one early morning.
Darren Perman grew up in Malibu, California. Like many children who grow up near the coast, his childhood was shaped by the natural world around him: the ocean, the hills, the wildlife that shared the neighborhood. But it was one particular morning that planted the seed of what would eventually become Wookiwoo, I Love You.
Darren woke up to the sounds of Wookiwoo and his family flying from tree to tree outside his window. The noise was unmistakable: the bright, chattering calls of wild parrots moving through the neighborhood, alive and free and completely at home in the California morning. It was the kind of moment that stops you in your tracks. A moment of pure, unexpected joy.
Over time, Wookiwoo and his flock became familiar visitors. And like all wild things, they came and went on their own terms, free to leave, free to return, belonging to no one. It was this quality, the freedom of a wild creature and the love you feel for something you cannot keep, that became the emotional heart of the book.
"If you love something, set it free."
Darren Perman is now married to Ruby Perman and lives in Dana Point, California with their children Alanni and Kanoa. As a parent, the story of Wookiwoo took on new meaning. The experience of loving something — a child, a friend, a wild bird — and knowing that love means giving them the freedom to fly, is one of the most universal and profound human experiences.
He wrote Wookiwoo, I Love You as a reminder for parents and children alike to always say those three little words. Not just to people, but to the world around us. To the wild things that visit our lives briefly and leave us changed. To the moments that matter before they are gone.
The book has often been compared to The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein — a story that works on multiple levels, speaking to children about love and friendship while touching adults with its deeper themes of letting go and unconditional love. It is a book meant to be read together, by parents and children, and to spark conversations about what it means to truly love someone.
The original first edition of Wookiwoo, I Love You was published as a paperback and quickly became a Barnes & Noble Selection, a recognition that the story resonated far beyond Darren's own family and community. Readers across the country connected with Wookiwoo's story, and the book found its way into homes, classrooms, and libraries from California to the East Coast.
The success of the first edition led to the creation of the stunning new Premier Edition hardcover, published by Island Heritage and illustrated by Kristi Petosa-Sigel. This new edition brings Wookiwoo's world to life with vibrant, detailed full-page illustrations that make the story even more magical, a true collector's edition that does justice to the beauty and emotion of the original story.
The Premier Edition hardcover is available now through Island Heritage, while the original first edition paperback remains available on Amazon as a rare collector's keepsake for true fans of the story.
Wild parrots have lived in Southern California for over 50 years, descended from escaped or released pet birds.
Los Angeles County is home to an estimated 3,000+ wild parrots of more than a dozen species.
Wild parrot flocks are famously loud. Their calls can be heard from over a mile away.
Most wild parrots in California are bright green, making them surprisingly hard to spot in palm and eucalyptus trees despite their noise.
Parrots are highly social and mate for life — they travel in family groups and are rarely seen alone.
The wild parrots of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco inspired the documentary "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" (2003), bringing national attention to urban wild parrot populations.
Bring the real story of Wookiwoo home for the little ones in your life.