Reception
Reviews for the book have been positive. In the New York Times Book Review , Bruce Handy called the title pigeon "one of this decade's contributions to the pantheon of great picture book characters". He added, "The Pigeon is whiny, shortsighted, narcissistic, needy, relentless and nakedly manipulative; in short, the Pigeon is a thinly veiled 4-year-old, drawn by Willems with a sure, simple line and a keen sense, as the pages turn, of comic timing." [4] Kirkus Reviews found "If this offering necessarily lacks the freshness of the original, its wholehearted sense of fun more than makes up for any hint of formula." [5] and Publishers Weekly wrote that "Willems uses voice bubbles and emphatic lettering to suggest the Pigeon's tone of voice, and his solid-color backgrounds progressively dim from soft pink to lavender to a relaxing gray-blue and warm violet, enhancing the growing sense of drowsiness. At last, the hyperactive Pigeon succumbs to slumber, but sleep-resistant and savvy readers will likely plead to read this again." [6]
Mo Willems is an American writer, animator, voice actor, and children's book author. His work includes creating the animated television series Sheep in the Big City for Cartoon Network, working on Sesame Street and The Off-Beats, and creating the children's book series Elephant and Piggie.
Flotsam is a children's wordless picture book written and illustrated by David Wiesner. Published by Clarion/Houghton Mifflin in 2006, it was the 2007 winner of the Caldecott Medal; the third win for David Wiesner. The book contains illustrations of underwater life with no text to accompany them.
My Friend Rabbit is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann and first published in 2002. The illustrations in the book earned Rohmann the Caldecott Medal in 2003. My Friend Rabbit was adapted into an animated television series in 2007.
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Published by Disney-Hyperion in 2003, it was Willems' first book for children, and received the Caldecott Honor. The plot is about a bus driver who has to leave so he asks the reader to not allow the Pigeon to drive the bus. The Pigeon wants to have at least one ride and comes up with various excuses to drive the bus but the readers keep on telling him "NO!", which aggravates the Pigeon. An animated adaptation of the book, produced by Weston Woods Studios, won the 2010 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video.
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale is a classic children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Released by Hyperion Books in 2004, Knuffle Bunny received the 2005 Caldecott Honor. The story spawned an animated short film and a musical play, as well as two sequels. The Knuffle Bunny Series has sold more than 750,000 copies. The series' protagonist, Trixie, is named after Willems's real-life child.
Leonardo, the Terrible Monster is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. An ALA Notable Book, it was released in 2005 by Hyperion Books. In 2007, Weston Woods adapted the book to an animated film, directed by Pete List.
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is a 2004 children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. It is about the Pigeon that comes across a hot dog, and eventually shares it with a duckling. In 2010, an animated version of the book, narrated by Mo and Trixie Willems, and animated by Pete List, was released by Weston Woods Studio. Note that the film version has a 3d introduction.
Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. It was released in 2006 by Hyperion Books.
Harry the Dirty Dog is an American children's picture book written by Gene Zion and illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham. Originally published in black and white in 1956 by Harper and Row, it was reprinted in 2002 with splashes of color added by the original artist. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." The story also spawned an animated short, which was released in 1997.
Let's Go for a Drive! is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems, published in 2012 by Hyperion Books for Children. It is a book in the Elephant and Piggie series.
Locomotive is a 2013 children's book written and illustrated by Brian Floca. A non-fiction book written primarily in free verse, the book follows a family as they ride a transcontinental steam engine train in summer of 1869. The book details the workers, passengers, landscape, and effects of building and operating the first transcontinental railroad. The book also contains prose about the earlier and later history of locomotives. The book took Floca four years to create, which included a change in perspective from following the crew of the train to following a family. Floca conducted extensive research including his own train ride and consultation with experts to ensure he had the details all correct.
Drew Daywalt, is an American author and filmmaker. He is best known for writing the best-selling children's picture book The Day the Crayons Quit, and its sequel The Day the Crayons Came Home, both illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. Daywalt is also known for writing scripts for American television and Hollywood studio films, and for creating a number of short horror films for release on the internet.
Mother Goose's Little Treasures is a 2007 children's picture book by Iona Opie. It is a collection of nursery rhymes, some little known, chosen by Opie from the Mother Goose oeuvre.
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? is a 2012 picture book by Mo Willems. It is about a duckling that asks for, and receives, a cookie, a pigeon that complains about it, but is then flummoxed when the duckling passes the cookie to him.
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! is a 2008 children's picture book by Mo Willems. Published by Hyperion Books, it is about The Pigeon who really wants a puppy, but later has second thoughts about that idea.
Wolf in the Snow is a 2017 wordless picture book by Matthew Cordell. The book was favorably received by critics and won the 2018 Caldecott Medal. The story has drawn comparisons to fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood. The nearly wordless book tells the story of a girl and wolf who each get lost in the snowstorm. Cordell used distinctive illustration techniques for the girl and the wolf.
Hello Lighthouse is a picture book written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. The book tells the story of a lighthouse and its last keeper and was well received, winning the 2019 Caldecott Medal for its illustrations. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, Blackall worked hard on the design of the book. The writing and illustrations were meant to complement each other noting the change and consistency of the sea.
Duck! Rabbit! is a 2009 children's picture book written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Published by Chronicle Books, it follows two narrators as they debate whether an illustration is a picture of a duck or a rabbit.
The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! is a children's book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Published by Hyperion Books for Children in 2019, it is about a pigeon who must go to school, but frets about math, learning the alphabet, heavy backpacks, and what the teacher and other birds would think of him.
Ryan T. Higgins is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He is best known for his Mother Bruce and Penelope Rex series, both of which have had a book on The New York Times Best Seller List and have won the E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books.
