Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

   This 2003 Caldecott Honor Book is hillarious!  Written and illustrated by Mo Williams, this simple book makes me laugh every time I read it.  I do not know just why I like it so much, but this book should be read by every child just for its humor alone.  Basically, at the beginning of the book, there is a message from the bus driver that says, "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus!"  After this statement, we are introduced to the pigeon, which tries to persuade the reader in every possible way to let it drive the bus.  The plot is so simple, but I just love the interplay between the reader and the pigeon.  After all, how often do readers get assigned a task very early on by a character in the book and then get to interact with another character in the book?  I have not read this to my class yet, but I bet they will laugh as much as I did.  The funniest thing in the book is how the pigeon tries being nice, demanding, cajoling, argumentative, tricky.  The pigeon plays on the reader's emotions, much like a kid wanting a toy from his/her parent.  I highly recommend this book and it is now one of my favorites.  As for the artwork, the expressions and body language of the pigeon adds a great deal to the humor of the book. Without the clever illustrations, this book would not be quite as entertaining. The artwork is not so much beautiful as it is silly and quirky. The next time I teach persuasion in writing I plan to use this book.