Module 6 - Picture Books

Willems, Mo. (2003). Don't let the pigeion drive the bus!
New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Summary:
The driver of the bus takes his regular break and leaves instructions with the passengers to not let the pigeon drive the bus.  Through the rest of the book the pigeon tries to persuade the passenger to let him drive the bus.  The text is simple, yet very engaging for students as they read it.

My Impression:
Students love this book with its engaging text.  The pigeon's begging involves the students in wanting to respond to the pigeon's continual requests.  It is a great book to use when teaching persuasion.

Reviews:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
School Library Journal's Reviews
PreS-Gr 2 - A brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life, as anyone who interacts with an obdurate three-year-old can attest. The bus driver has to leave for a while, and he makes one request of readers: "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus." It's the height of common sense, but the driver clearly knows this determined pigeon and readers do not - yet. "Hey, can I drive the bus?" asks the bird, at first all sweet reason, and then, having clearly been told no by readers, he begins his ever-escalating, increasingly silly bargaining. "I tell you what: I'll just steer," and "I never get to do anything," then "No fair! I bet your mom would let me." In a wonderfully expressive spread, the pigeon finally loses it, and, feathers flying and eyeballs popping, screams "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!" in huge, scratchy, black-and-yellow capital letters. The driver returns, and the pigeon leaves in a funk - until he spies a huge tractor trailer, and dares to dream again. Like David Shannon's No, David (Scholastic, 1998), Pigeon is an unflinching and hilarious look at a child's potential for mischief. In a plain palette, with childishly elemental line drawings, Willems has captured the essence of unreasonableness in the very young. The genius of this book is that the very young will actually recognize themselves in it.
Ratterree, D. (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus! School Library Journal's Reviews,49(5), 132.

Suggested Library Use:
This is great book to use with lower elementary age students to introduce the use of persuasion.  Students can be involved in the simple text and respond to the begging of the pigeon to drive the bus.