Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo. 2003. DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS. New York, NY: Hyperion Press. ISBN 078681988X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
That darn pigeon will try anything to drive that bus. He taunts and needles and questions his audience, begging to get them to give their permission for him to drive away.

3. IMPRESSIONS
The "Don't Let the Pigeon...." books are incredibly popular with my kindergartners. They participate with me as I read and anticipate what is coming up on the next page. Riotous laughter and rolling on the ground are common occurrences when these books are read. I went on-line a few years ago and found instructions for how to draw the pigeon that is so easy, 5 year olds can master it. This adds a nice element to the instruction and gives them something tangible to take home.

Willems words his book in a way that encourages verbal responses. After one or two pages, kids shout out "No!" when the pigeon asks to drive the bus (of course there are a few smart alecks who shout "Yes!" also!). Several other things are good to point out...how the dark lines above pigeon's head reflect his mood...how the lines near his wings indicate flapping...the loose feathers increase the more frustrated he becomes, etc. Good learning moments.

Once these books are introduced, they don't stay on the shelves for long. Mo Willems has found a niche here and his books really lend themselves to a read-aloud. He also presents several pages as if his drawings are stills from a movie or slides on a camera. If humor is something you need more of in your library...or your home...you cannot go wrong here.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Like David Shannon's No, David (Scholastic, 1998), Pigeon is an unflinching and hilarious look at a child's potential for mischief. In a plain palette, with childishly elemental line drawings, Willems has captured the essence of unreasonableness in the very young. The genius of this book is that the very young will actually recognize themselves in it."
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA296263.html?q=DON%27T+LET+THE+PIGEON+DRIVE+THE+BUS

* Starred review in BOOKLIST: "Willems is a professional animator, and each page has the feel of a perfectly frozen frame of cartoon footage--action, remarkable expression, and wild humor captured with just a few lines. Preschoolers will howl over the pigeon's dramatics, even as they recognize that he wheedles, blows up, and yearns to be powerful just like they do."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/078681988X/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books