Book Review: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun story and pictures that will make you laugh

Cons: The Pigeon's temper tantrum at one point

The Bottom Line: 

The Pigeon learns to

Be careful what you wish for

In this funny book

I Have Always Loved This Book.  Well, at Least Since Last Tuesday.

My niece is going through a stage where she is obsessed with puppies.  So when I picked up Mo Willems' The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, I had to get it for her.  That is, when I finally stopped laughing.

I must admit that I am not terribly familiar with The Pigeon series of picture books, but my understanding is that each books finds the title Pigeon trying to talk the reader into doing something that he probably shouldn't do.  The fun comes from the reader explaining to him why his ideas won't work.

This book finds Pigeon longing for a puppy.  He's always wanted one, at least since last Tuesday.  He promises to take very good care of it by watering it at least once a month.  He wants to ride it piggyback and play tennis with it.  He's very upset that you won't give him one - that is until he actually sees one.  Suddenly, he loses interest in a puppy but has a new interest.  And that last line is the best laugh of the book.

I'm holding off on giving the book to my niece until she is two.  That's when she will best be able to enjoy it I think.  While you can read the book straight through and enjoy it, it becomes a little more fun if you actually talk back to Pigeon.  Okay, so there isn't too much room to "interact" with Pigeon, but a sentence or two here and there would add to the fun.

The book is a quick and easy read.  There is usually only one sentence a page, occasionally two.  Most of the page is taken up with Pigeon in a pose that fits his feelings for that page.  The drawings are actually very simple with just Pigeon done in a few lines until the end when we get the puppy, too.  Kids won't be bothered by the simplicity of the drawings; they are actually rather charming.

At one point, Pigeon does throw a fit when he doesn't get his way.  Obviously, this isn't acceptable behavior, but parents can use the story to reinforce that idea to their kids.  It will really help if the kids are really getting into the story and helping say "No" to Pigeon.

I was smiling all the way through the book until I got to the end when I started laughing.  The Pigeon Wants a Puppy is a short book that will take only a couple of minutes to read, but it can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.