A Special 20th Anniversary Edition: Read Our Review of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

Celebrate twenty years of the legendary Pigeon in this special anniversary edition of Mo Willems’ best-loved, Caldecott Honor-winning picture book.

When a bus driver takes a break, he gives the reader just one instruction: “Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!” But, boy, that pigeon tries every trick in the book to get in that driving seat: he whines, wheedles, fibs and flatters. Will you let him drive?

Told entirely in speech bubbles, this brilliantly original and funny picture book demands audience participation! This Pigeon has been trying to drive the bus for twenty years. Bringing Mo Willems’ picture book debut in a brand-new board book format will bring everyone’s favourite Pigeon to a new generation of little hands.

I definitely remember reading Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! as a child, and now Mo Willems’ picture book debut is in a brand-new board book format to celebrate its 20th anniversary, bringing everyone’s favourite Pigeon to a new generation of little hands.

Speaking directly to the reader, the book opens up with a bus driver clearly instructing that young readers cannot let the pigeon drive the bus. And so ensues a highly-amusing and interactive story of a pigeon persuading readers to let him drive the bus.

Even babies will enjoy this simple, silly and hilarious picture book. Though older children will be tested as Pigeon offers games, friendship and compelling tales as bargaining tools to convince them to let him drive the bus. Whilst this is fun and engaging, it’s also a clever way to challenge children and get them thinking about safety, peer pressure, the importance of rules and managing your emotions.

Bringing vibrancy to bedtime, young readers will also delight in the cartoon artwork, drawn with black crayon lines and set on pastel backgrounds, which is strikingly expressive and humorous.

Short yet snappy, a new generation of readers will have a blast interacting with Pigeon, saying no (and maybe yes!) to him driving the bus. Parents and children alike will relish in the joy and humour this brings to bedtime reading.

Buy a copy of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus here.