The premise of this cheeky debut is charmingly absurd. When a bus driver goes on break, he asks the audience to keep an eye on his vehicle and the daft, bug-eyed pigeon who desperately wants to drive it. The pigeon then relentlessly begs readers for some time behind the wheel: "I tell you what: I'll just steer. My cousin Herb drives a bus almost every day! True story." Willems hooks his audience quickly with the pigeon-to-reader approach and minimalist cartoons. The bluish-gray bird, outlined in black crayon, expresses countless, amusing emotions through tiny shifts in eye movement or wing position. The plucky star peeks in from the left side of a page, and exhibits an array of pleading strategies against window-pane panels in mauve, salmon and willow ("I'll be your best friend," he says wide-eyed in one, and whispers behind a wing, "How 'bout I give you five bucks?"). Finally he erupts in a full-spread tantrum on an orange background, the text outlined in electric yellow ("Let me drive the bus!!!"). When the driver returns and takes off, the bird slumps dejectedly until a big red truck inspires a new round of motoring fantasies. Readers will likely find satisfaction in this whimsical show of emotions and, perhaps, a bit of self-recognition. Ages 2-6. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.
Life is tricky. You could argue that, but why? Do you have that much free time? You do? Oh. Okay, we’ll just pretend that TBR pile in the corner doesn’t exist. Over here though, we don’t have time to argue about whether life is tricky. Of course, it is! It’s so tricky, in fact, that […]
The obsession with Elephant and Piggie, best friends who star in a series of books by Sesame Street veteran and Pigeon provider Mo Willems, runs deep in my household. To give you an idea: Most mornings, the first thing my 3½-year-old says to me is, “I’m still Elephant, and you’re still Piggie.” When she sees […]
Few people have done more to encourage our children to read than the late Dr. Seuss, born Theodore Geisel. As the author of iconic picture books including The Cat in the Hat, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss made words magical and taught generations of children that […]
When you’re looking for the perfect gift for the most enthusiastic readers in your life—otherwise known as the picture book set—consult this list of our favorites. Featuring fed-up crayons, ornery grandparents, mischievous pigeons and puppies, and insightful shells, this list of picture book classics new and old is brimming with stimulating, insightful, and above all fun books […]
It’s nearing 8 p.m. on a midsummer’s eve, and while there’s not a wide eyelid in the house, your crew’s obviously not going down without a story or two. However, Corduroy’s found his button enough already, the pigeon has certainly driven the bus, and Pooh Bear’s fed his honey habit for ages—it’s time for something […]