Wonderful Book from the Past: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems is a wonderful book for an interactive read aloud or an independent read. While it is recommended for ages 2-6, even older children will enjoy this hilarious story. This is a story of a pigeon whose dream is to drive a bus. The bus driver, however, warns the reader to keep the pigeon away from the bus while he goes on a break - thus begins the begging, pleading, and cajoling of the pigeon to the reader. The pigeon tries to convince or trick the reader into allowing him to drive the bus. He says, "Hey, I've got an idea. Let's play 'Drive the Bus'!" Children will laugh out loud at the silly antics of the pigeon.

This book was a Caldecott Honor book in 2003. The hysterical cartoonish illustrations are outlined in black pencil or crayon and filled in with a neutral and cool blue palette. The text is written in speech bubbles. The format of the book is very simple which adds to the humorous nature of the book. The final page, where the pigeon begins his new dream of driving a truck, allows the reader to create their own ending; deciding whether or not they would allow the pigeon to drive the truck. We would recommend this to all children (and adults). It was a joy to read!

Happy Reading

Michael and Page