Module 6 - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems

Summary

Pigeon really, really wants to drive the bus.  He tries many different ways to convince the bus driver to let him drive.  He is not successful, but he does not give up easily.

Willems, M. (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.


Impressions

Mo Willems does an excellent job of imitating how small children go about trying to get what they want.  I read this to my students and they loved it. They can relate to wanting to do something so badly that they resort to bargaining, begging, and pleading.  Though simple, illustrations thoroughly show Pigeon's personality. 

Reviews
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. 

Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. (2003, February 10).Publisher's weekly, Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7868-1988-1

Suggestions for Use in Library

• Read the book then sing "The Wheels on the Bus"
• Discuss why the pigeon shouldn't drive the bus
• Have the students act out the story
• Have students write and illustrate a sequel