Book Review: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Bibliography
Willems, Mo. 2003. DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! Hyperion Books for Children: New York. ISBN 078681988X

Summary
After a bus driver leaves the reader to watch his bus with the directions of not letting the pigeon drive, an intrepid pigeon tries to convince the reader to let him drive the bus, without much luck.

Critical Analysis
Mo Willems combines words and fun images to interactively engage the reader in this picture book. The main character of the book is a pigeon that is determined to drive a bus, he uses all of the devices he can think of to get his way. He asks nicely, he begs, he pleads, he tries to trick you, and he even has a complete temper tantrum. Any parent, teacher, or anyone that has anything to do with the age group this book is intended for (ages 2-6) will see some very similar devices used by children and the pigeon to get what is wanted. This carries across the theme of the story without getting overly moral. The style and illustrations used in this book are simple in form, but tell a story that is engaging to all age groups. This is a good example that less is more. This book can be considered cross-cultural because there are no markers that indicate it reflects a specific culture. Almost all children have experience with busses, birds, and begging for something they want.

Review Excerpt(s)
In his winning debut, Willems finds the preschooler in a pigeon: a cajoling, tantrum-throwing, irresistible bird. "I've got to leave for a little while," says a uniformed bus driver as he strolls off the opening pages. "I thought he'd never leave," says the big-eyed pigeon as he marches onto the next spread and begins his campaign to drive the bus. His tactics, addressed to an unseen audience, are many: he reasons ("I tell you what: I'll just steer"); he whines ("I never get to do anything!"); he's creative ("Let's play 'Drive the Bus'! I'll go first"); he bargains ("C'mon! Just once around the block!"). Finally he erupts in a feather-flying tantrum, followed by a drooping sulk that ends only when a truck arrives, and new road fantasies begin. Librarians may struggle with the endpapers, which contain important story content, but 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. 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. -Gillian Engberg, Booklist, September 1, 2003

Strengths and Weaknesses
One of the major strengths of this book is the universal appeal of the theme of the story. Just about every child tries the exact same tactics the pigeon uses to get what is wanted. Also, Willems delivers a message in a fun way; how funny would it be to young children that a pigeon wants to drive a bus! That is sure to get some giggles. I also like how Willems draws the audience in by asking them to interact with the story and be participants with the story. It is difficult to determine one weakness because the story and illustrations are conjoined together seamlessly and tell an engaging story with a good lesson, and it is delivered in a fun manner.

Personal Response and Connections
I absolutely love this book! I am kicking myself that as a mom to three kids and a former Kindergarten teacher, I have never had the opportunity to share this books with children. I am a sucker for that cute pigeon, and I probably would have let him drive the bus, he is so gosh darn endearing!

Parents and teachers of younger children can use this book several ways. The first way is to have children identify behaviors that they might have used to get what they want. Also, this can lead to a discussion of how to ask for things and ineffective ways of getting what they want. Another lesson is to have children determine why it is a bad decsion to let a pigeon drive a bus, then they can relate this to their own experiences of when someone has told them no about something they really wanted.