Book Blog Mod. 5: Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Module #5
Willems, M. (2003). Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
The popularity of semi-interactive kids’ shows like Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorere is well-renowned. The characters wills peak to and ask question of their viewers, including them in the fictional world. Willems’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! follows a similar tactic, where the reader is treated as a major player in the book.
The premise is simple. The bus driver needs to duck out for a bit, and asks the reader to stand guard and not let the pigeon drive. Of course, the titular pigeon shows up and alternately asks, begs, whines, demands, or attempts to persuade the reader to let it drive.
What makes this book so much fun is the behavior of the determined bird. It tries every trick in the book, ones that just about all children have heard or tried now and again: "I’ll give you five bucks!" "I bet your mom would let me!" "C’mon, pleeeeease?" even throwing a temper tantrum at the end. They’re the ploys all children try, but with the child reader in the role of the parent and saying no. The comedic value of all the ploys done in one session by a common pigeon makes this a hilarious read for kids and adults alike. The simple crayon illustrations and hand lettering further its childlike appeal.
The book has come out to positive reviews; School Library Journal, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly all have good things to say about the story and its design. (All reviews from Bowkers Books In Print database) Dona Ratterree of School Library Journal says, "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." Gillan Engberg of Booklist gives more focus to the style saying, "the design is refreshingly minimal, focusing always on the pigeon; he's the only image on nearly every earth-toned spread. 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."
This book is a timeless riot. It belongs on the shelf.
Willems, M. (2003). Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
The popularity of semi-interactive kids’ shows like Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorere is well-renowned. The characters wills peak to and ask question of their viewers, including them in the fictional world. Willems’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! follows a similar tactic, where the reader is treated as a major player in the book.
The premise is simple. The bus driver needs to duck out for a bit, and asks the reader to stand guard and not let the pigeon drive. Of course, the titular pigeon shows up and alternately asks, begs, whines, demands, or attempts to persuade the reader to let it drive.
What makes this book so much fun is the behavior of the determined bird. It tries every trick in the book, ones that just about all children have heard or tried now and again: "I’ll give you five bucks!" "I bet your mom would let me!" "C’mon, pleeeeease?" even throwing a temper tantrum at the end. They’re the ploys all children try, but with the child reader in the role of the parent and saying no. The comedic value of all the ploys done in one session by a common pigeon makes this a hilarious read for kids and adults alike. The simple crayon illustrations and hand lettering further its childlike appeal.
The book has come out to positive reviews; School Library Journal, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly all have good things to say about the story and its design. (All reviews from Bowkers Books In Print database) Dona Ratterree of School Library Journal says, "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." Gillan Engberg of Booklist gives more focus to the style saying, "the design is refreshingly minimal, focusing always on the pigeon; he's the only image on nearly every earth-toned spread. 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."
This book is a timeless riot. It belongs on the shelf.