The Pigeon Wants a Puppy

Title: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy
Category: Picture Book
Grades: 3-5 years
Author: Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion
Date: 2008

Summary:

Mo Willems adds another hilarious installment to the Pigeon series with The Pigeon Wants a Puppy.  The pigeon spends each page begging the reader for his very own puppy, promising to take care of it, begging, and even throwing a temper tantrum.  When he finally gets his wish, he discovers swiftly that a puppy is not what he wanted at all; in fact, he is quite afraid of it.  Undaunted, he changes his plea to beg for a walrus. 

Review:

This book is wonderfully appealing for the preschool age on several levels.  The illustrations are simple and funny, done as just barely more than stick figures, yet still managing to convey the pigeon's feelings perfectly.  The pigeon speaks directly to the reader, offering plenty of opportunities for children to talk back, respond to his questions, and (their favorite) to tell him no.  His silly ideas, such as watering his puppy monthly, will make them laugh, and preschoolers will certainly relate to the pigeon's dilemma, both in wanting what he cannot have, and discovering he does not really want it.