The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

Bibliography

Willems, Mo. 2008. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! Ill. By Mo Willems. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 1423109600

Plot Summary

In The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! we meet a pigeon who desires a puppy more than anything else in the world. He has wanted this puppy forever (or at least since last Tuesday)! He begins by explaining why he would be good at owning a puppy. When the reader doesn’t agree with him, he becomes annoyed and sets into a series of arguments and even a tantrum. The pigeon is thrilled when he finally gets a puppy. That is until he realizes that a puppy is more than he bargained for. He then sets his sites on a walrus.

Critical Analysis

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! stars a precocious pigeon. He is meant to represent a young child. Throughout the pigeon series of books, he frequently changes desires and ideas. He lacks the ability to build solid arguments and discuss what he wants. In fact, when he feels dismissed, he begins making demands and throwing a tantrum. Parents are sure to recognize the similarities between the pigeon and a toddler.

There is no indication of a specific setting. This allows for the reader to use their imagination. The entire story takes place in the timespan of a single conversation.

The conflict revolves around the idea that the pigeon has been told, “no,” to something he wants. Unable to accept reason, he sets into a series of escalating arguments. This builds until he explodes with anger and frustration. However, once he does receive the desire of his heart, he is quick to change his mind.

The book has a conversational writing style. The story is told by the pigeon as he talks to the reader. He anticipates the response from the reader and argues against them. When he says that he will water the puppy once a month, I can imagine that even a child reading the book would recognize that it is a bad idea.

The simple pastel drawings focus on the pigeon and his emotions. There are no background images to distract from his body language and facial expressions. The volume of the pigeon’s speech is shown through font size. When he is yelling for a puppy, the font is large and all caps. When he is talking to himself or pouting, the font is small to indicate that it is said in a quiet manner. The pigeon is truly the star of each page of this delightful children’s book.

Awards

1929 Newbery Honor Award

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: "Kids will love this perfectly paced picture book…”

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.”

Connections

* Use the book as the starting point for a discussion about effective arguments for persuasive essays.

 *Other picture books in the Pigeon series:

·         Willems, Mo. Cat, The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog. ISBN 0786818697.

·         Willems, Mo. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. ISBN 078681988X.

·         Willems, Mo. The Pigeon Needs a Bath. ISBN 1423190874.