Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Title: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Author: Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Publication date: 2003
ISBN number: 978-078681988-1
Audience: Ages 2 – 6
Summary of book: The bus driver has left the reader in charge to make sure that the Pigeon doesn’t drive the bus. No matter what excuses the pigeon comes up with, it is our job to tell the Pigeon, “No!” When the Pigeon’s plan is foiled he comes up with a new dream, driving an 18 wheeler.
Central literary elements at work in the book (genre, characters, plot, language, illustrations, dialogue, repetitions, etc.): The pigeon is a simple character that engages the kids. The reader response in this book is a beautiful thing. Kids can’t help, but yelling, “No” at the pigeon. Mo Willems creative illustrations and use of dialogue makes use of the entire book from the front inside cover to the back inside cover. Be sure to start at the very beginning and go to the very end.
How the book presents gender, race, culture, economic status, abilities/disabilities, age, etc.: The bus driver is the only human character. He is a middle age, Caucasian male.
Theological Conversation Partners: The Ten Commandments, and the Two Greatest Commandments, Golden Rule
Faith Talk Questions:
- Why shouldn’t we let the Pigeon drive the bus?
- Are there things we should or shouldn’t do? Why do those rules exist?
- What are some of the rules given to us by God?
- Why should we try to follow those rules?
This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Jessie Smith.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
