Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Released by Disney-Hyperion in 2003, it was Willems' first book for children, and received the Caldecott Honor.[1] 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.[2]

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Front cover
AuthorMo Willems
Cover artistWillems
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's books
picture books
PublisherHyperion Books for Children
Publication date
April 1, 2003
Pages36
ISBN978-0-7868-1988-1
OCLC51815360
[E] 22
LC ClassPZ7.W65535 Dj 2003
Preceded byN/A 
Followed byThe Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! 

Sequels

Willems has created further books about the Pigeon's adventures:

Board books
  • The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! (2005)
  • The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! (2005)

Cameo appearances by the Pigeon can also be found in Willems's Knuffle Bunny, Elephant and Piggie, Leonardo, the Terrible Monster and Cat the Cat book series.

Reception

In addition to the Caldecott Honor, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is an American Library Association Notable Book, a National Council of Teachers of English Notable Book, a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book,[4] and a South Carolina Picture Book Award winner[5] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."[6] It was selected as one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.[7]

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year.[8] Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! is a Parenting Magazine Best Book.[9] The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! is the 2009 Children's Choice Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year.[10]

Each of the four standard-format Pigeon books has been on the New York Times best-seller list.

A 2011 scientific study entitled "Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" examined the ability of pigeons to solve the traveling salesperson problem by taking the shortest route to visit multiple feeders in a laboratory. The authors found that pigeons "appeared to plan ahead multiple steps," which provided "clear and strong evidence that animals other than primates are capable of planning sophisticated travel routes."[11][12]

In April 2023, the 20th anniversary edition of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was released by Hyperion

References
  1. 2004 Caldecott Medal Honors
  2. Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video winners, 1991 to present
  3. "Disney Publishing Worldwide to Publish the Duckling Gets a Cookie!? By Mo Willems in April 2012". 6 June 2011.
  4. "Pigeon Presents!". Pigeon Presents!. 2003-01-04. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  5. "Picture Book Award Nominees and Materials: Past Picture Book Award Winners". scasl.net. South Carolina Association of School Librarians. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  6. National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  7. Bird, Elizabeth (July 6, 2012). "Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results". School Library Journal "A Fuse #8 Production" blog. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  8. "Pigeon Presents!". Pigeon Presents!. 2005-01-09. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  9. "Pigeon Presents!". Pigeon Presents!. 2006-01-05. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  10. "Pigeon Presents!". Pigeon Presents!. 2008-01-04. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  11. Gibson, B.; Wilkinson, M.; Kelly, D. (October 1, 2011). "Let the pigeon drive the bus: pigeons can plan future routes in a room". Animal Cognition. 15 (3): 379–91. doi:10.1007/s10071-011-0463-9. PMID 21965161. S2CID 14994429.
  12. Horowitz, A.; Shea, A. (December 30, 2011). "Story Time, Debunked". New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
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