DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!

Bibliography

Willems, Mo. 2003. DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9780786819881

Plot Summary

A bus driver wants to take a break and decides to leave for a short time, all he asks is not to let the pigeon drive his bus. His request isn’t easy because the pigeon is very persistent. The pigeon begs and pleads and even promises to be careful. He even throws a tantrum.  He also has a list of reasons why he should drive.

Critical Analysis

This is a very entertaining picture book for a young audience. The text is simple and short and allows for interaction. The pigeon talks to the readers, making the readers talk back to him as they read. The pigeon promises many of the same things children do. It captures a child's temper tantrum.

The author’s illustrations are very simple cartoons and give the reader a feeling that a child drew them. The colors consist of browns and blues with a white bubble with text. He brings the characters to life with the pigeons silly facial expressions that represent various emotions.

The group of 1st graders I read this book to loved it. It is so simple to read and follow; they kept stopping the read aloud to talk about the pigeon. They thought it was the funniest thing that the pigeon used phrases like; “I’ll be your best friend,” and “I never get to do anything.”

 Review Excerpts

- 2004 Caldecott Honor

- ALA Notable Book

- National Council of Teachers of English Notable

- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book.

- Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."

- It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.

- 2009 Indies Choice Picture Book Hall of Fame Title

- New York Times Bestseller

- Publishers Weekly Bestseller

- Booklist Editor’s Choice

- Nick Jr. Magazine Best Book

- Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice

- Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended

- Amazon.com Best Book

- Miami Herald Best Book

- Child Magazine Best Book

- Book Sense 76 selection

- Borders Original Voices (June 03)

- Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book

- Bank Street College of Education Best Book

- Children’s Book of the Month Club Selection

- Children’s Literature Assembly Notable Book

- "Clean, sparely designed pages focus attention on the simply drawn but wildly expressive (and emotive) pigeon, and there’s a particularly funny page-turn when a well-mannered double-page spread with eight vignettes of the pleading pigeon gives way to a full-bleed, full-blown temper tantrum. Assuming that young listeners will take on the role of limit-setting grownups and not identify with the powerless but impertinent pigeon (“What’s the big deal!?” “No fair!”), this well-paced story encourages audience interaction. In fact, like the wide-eyed pigeon, the book demands it. By the end, the pigeon has moved on — to dreaming about driving an eighteen wheeler. And that’s a big 10-4, good buddy." - The Horn Book STARRED REVIEW

-"Listeners will be begging, pleading, lying, and bribing to hear it again and again." - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

- "cheeky debut is charmingly absurd." - Publishers Weekly

- "A brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life . . . The genius of this book is that the very young will actually recognize themselves in it." - School Library Journal

- "A winning debut . . . preschoolers will howl over the pigeon's dramatics." - Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

Connections

- Spanish version, 

¡No Dejes Que la Paloma Conduzca el Autobus! ISBN1423140524

Other stories silly books by Mo Willems that get kids to interact:

- THE PIGEON FINDS A HOTDOG. ISBN 9780786818693

- DON’T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE. ISBN 9781406308129

- THE PIGEON NEEDS A BATH. ISBN 9781423190875

- THE PIGEON WANTS A PUPPY. ISBN 9781406315509

- THE DUCKLING GETS A COOKIE. ISBN 9781406340099