Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Author and Illustrator: Mo Willems
Type: Picture Book
Age level: Preschool and early readers
Rating: 5 out of 5

In this interactive Caldecott Honor winning picture book,  a pigeon is trying to persuade the reader to let him drive a bus, after the bus driver specifically told the reader to not let the pigeon drive the bus. The humorous pigeon tries every way of persuading and wining to try and get the reader to just let him drive the bus!

I absolutely love this picture book! I love that the pigeon is talking to me and I am responsible for deciding his fate on driving the bus. I found myself screaming out "No!" every time he would ask me in a different way. It also reminded me a lot of what little children do when they want something. Especially all the deceptive ways he tries to trick you. For example, "I'll be your best friend," "how 'bout I give you five bucks" and "oh man, I never get to do anything." I definitely used these excuses as a child when I was trying to get my brother or sister to let me do something. When he throws a fit at the end of the book screaming "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!" I just cracked up, not only have I done this as a child but I have seen countless children do this themselves. I also love that at the end you are left with a picture of a truck and the pigeon saying, "Hey..." It let's you imagination run wild about what the pigeon will do next!

The first thing I notice about this book is that it starts the story starts through illustrations before the book actually starts. The beginning page shows a picture of the pigeons thinking about the bus and shows him driving it in many different styles. The illustrations on the end page, after the actual story, also provide another story. You see the pigeon imagining himself driving a truck just as you did in the beginning. This pigeon just won't take no for an answer!