The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo, 2008. THE PIGEON WANTS A PUPPY. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN-9781423109600

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Pigeon wants a puppy, and he wants it now! He promises to take care of it…water him once a month and give him plenty of sunshine. But whoa! This puppy has teeth, and hair, and a wet nose, and slobber, and claws! Never mind. Pigeon would rather have a walrus.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mo Willems pigeon is at it again. Children everywhere should love this character that acts and thinks like a little child. “He wants what he wants when he wants it.” The blue and white pigeon is speaking directly to the reader in language children understand. The words are placed on the page to show emotion; big letters for big thoughts, little letters for words said under his “beak.” Willems places most of his words in speech bubbles in font that looks much like an old typewriter, although children would not understand this. It does make it fun for adults to look at, especially since children will want to hear this story over and over again. Willems brings his pigeon to life by having him act just like a little child.

By the way, do you know what I want?
What I've wanted forever...?
At least since last Tuesday...?
A PUPPY!
Puppy! Puppy! Puppy!

Willems illustrations are brilliant. This story has two characters: the famous pigeon and a puppy. With the closing of an eye and the flick of a wing, Pigeon’s body language exactly matches his speech. He leans a little to the left and a little to the right. His wings are up, down, on his “hips,” and all around. His feet are on the ground and up in the air. His legs are straight, bent, both up, one down. The expression in Pigeon’s eye(s) is perfectly matched to the text. Willems background color changes with the mood of the story. When Pigeon is happy or excited in this book, the background is purple. When he is frightened or sad, the background changes to grey. Pigeon stays blue and white, but that is the only thing consistent about this silly bird. Pigeon’s puppy is a little too much for him. Even a friendly little puppy seems big and bad to a tiny pigeon. Parents reading this book can relate to a child wanting something badly and then finally receiving it and changing his or her mind, opening up a door for “remember when...?

Even though many adults and children would never tire of Mo Willems’s pigeon, the character does act the same, book after book. This could cause a situation for some adults to tire of the character after dozens of rereads. Luckily the author has more books with other characters who take on the characteristics of children, like an elephant, a pig, a cat, and even a naked mole rat.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Children’s Choice Award 2009

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Kids will love this perfectly paced picture book, which offers both the expected (breaking the fourth wall, Pigeon's classic temper tantrum) and a new twist (Pigeon actually gets what he wants? Impossible!). Willems's hilariously expressive illustrations and engaging text are cinematic in their interplay.”

Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Willems skillfully executes the formula that made previous Pigeon titles so popular: minimal artwork that places all the attention on the cajoling little bird, whose words and body language will strike a chord of familiarity with every child.”

5. CONNECTIONS
I have personally purchased almost every book that Mo Willems has published. Why? Because my young grandchildren love to hear his stories. The text in his books makes fluent, expressive reading a must. My grandchildren laugh every time I read them their pigeon books like it is the first time they have heard them. The language is so simple they read the words with me.

Children who love THE PIGEON WANTS A PUPPY will most likely adore Willems’s other series books: the Elephant, Piggie and Cat the cat.