Day 228: The Pigeon Needs a Bath

We LOVE Mo Willems in our house, and we were thrilled to get a copy of his latest book last week. (Thanks, Uncle Jeff!)  Since then, we've read the book I don't even know how many times, shared it with my son's kindergarten class and my daughter's preschool class, and laughed our way through countless fits of giggles.  I'm pretty sure my daughter has memorized it already, as well, since when we were reading it at bedtime last night, she insisted on saying all of the Pigeon's lines herself.  I told myself that I would stop featuring Mo Willems' books on this blog because I've already written about so many of them, but when a book is this fun and silly and wonderful, it simply must be shared!

If you aren't familiar with the Pigeon series, you need to get yourself to the library right now and take out one of these books immediately! Seriously. Go now. Read the rest of this post later. You're missing out!!  These books are absolutely hilarious and my children and I can't help but smile and laugh out loud at the Pigeon's antics each time we read them.  The Pigeon Needs a Bath is the most recent in the series, and might just be one of my favorites yet.

The cover itself lets you know just where this story is headed.  The Pigeon is filthy and needs a bath, but he insists he does not.  After all, he just took a bath last month! "'Clean.' 'Dirty.' They're just words, right?" He feels clean! As for those flies that are swarming around him? "Purely coincidental."  In true Pigeon form, he finally agrees -- reluctantly, of course -- to get into the bath, but not without one of Mo's classic multi-framed page spreads of Pigeon banter.  "The water is too hot… Too cold… Too deep!  Not deep enough… Too lukewarm… Too cold… Too hot again!… Not enough toys… Too many toys… Still too hot…"  And once he finally gets in (as I have experienced with my own children time and again), he naturally changes his mind and doesn't want to get out!  Right. On. In every way. So fun!

I suppose really needn't say anything else, other than that I hope you are able to get your hands on a copy of this fabulous book as soon as possible! Mo Willems, thank you for creating so many fantastic stories that we will remember fondly for years to come.

Day 191: Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Mo Willems might just be our household's favorite children's author.  Whether it's Gerald and Piggie, the beloved bus-obsessed Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny and Trixie, or Leonardo the Terrible Monster, we just can't get enough of Mo's characters.  I thought about saving this book until we're having more ice cream friendly weather, but we've been loving this story so much lately that I just couldn't wait!  

If you know Elephant and Piggie, you know how fabulous and funny their books are.  If you don't, you need to go to the library and get some of them immediately.  Seriously.  They are an absolute must for any preschooler's collection.  Mo Willems has the amazing ability to draw simple, yet wonderfully expressive characters while telling fabulously funny stories with easy-to-read text.  These were some of the very first books my son ever read on his own, and while we loved these books long before he could read, I appreciate their brilliance even more now.  We love all of the tales in the Elephant and Piggie series, but this is among our favorites.  It's one of my daughter's most requested stories at the moment, despite the fact that it's silliness always gets her more excited than sleepy at bedtime and naptime.  On second thought, maybe that's why she likes it so much...  

Gerald loves ice cream, and in this fantastically fun story, he is trying to decide whether to share his delicious treat with his best friend, Piggie.  It's so yummy, Piggie will be sure to love it, too... But wait!  Piggie is not there!  She'll never know he had the ice cream... But it would make her so happy to have some.  Should Gerald share his ice cream with her??  We've all been there before, haven't we?  I know my kids can certainly relate.  They know it's nice and polite to share with others, but as we all know, sometimes that's easier said than done... especially when it comes to something as delicious as ice cream!  The silly series of events throughout this story is bound to make your little ones laugh out loud, and my guess is you'll think this book is pretty hilarious, too.  And don't be afraid to get silly and carried away while you read it aloud.  It's much more fun that way!  While the ensuing giggle-fests might not be the most conducive to sleep at bedtime, this story is an all-around awesome read at any time of day.  

Day 146: Leonardo the Terrible Monster

My son has officially entered the "afraid of monsters" phase of childhood.  Every night before bed, we do a thorough monster check in his room, looking under the bed, in the closet, behind the curtains, and anywhere one might be hiding.  We reassure him, of course, that there is no such thing as monsters (and that even if there was, we would certainly never let them in the house), but still recognize that his fear is real and shouldn't be dismissed with this response alone.  He finds some comfort in the fact that we used to be afraid of monsters when we were little, too, but he still has his doubts.  (I don't tell him that to this day, I won't sleep with an arm hanging off of the bed.)  Fortunately, W now has a new friend to help keep the monsters away at night:  Leonardo the Terrible Monster!  We received this book along with a plush Leonardo the other day from the oh-so-generous Uncle Jeff.  A big thanks also needs to go out to friend of the blog Sharon Cerasoli, who recommended this book to us in the first place when she heard about our monster-fearing phase.   Leonardo is a TERRIBLE monster... terrible at being a monster, that is.  Try as he might, he simply cannot scare anyone.  He doesn't have 1,642 teeth like Tony, and isn't just plain weird like Hector.  Then one day, Leonardo gets an idea.  "He would find the most scaredy-cat kind in the whole world... and scare the tuna salad out of him!"  When he sneaks up on the unsuspecting Sam and the boy begins to cry, Leonardo is ecstatic.  He has finally scared the tuna salad out of someone!  Or did he?  When Sam launches into the list of things he is sad about, Leonardo makes a big decision and decides that perhaps being a wonderful friend is more important than being a terrible monster.  This story is cute, silly, and kind of heart-warming all at the same time, and we just love it!

Leonardo the Terrible Monster is classic Mo Willems, with simple, expressive illustrations and enough silliness to keep little readers giggling out loud even after the book has ended.  I love the way Willems uses empty space, font styles, and image scale on each page to help create the emotion of the story, and the subtle message about understanding in this book is wonderful, too.  It's the humor in his stories that we love most, though.  My son thinks scaring the tuna salad out of someone is one of the most hilarious things he has ever heard, and his fits of laughter that accompany each reading of this book make my heart happy.  He's been reciting the silliest parts of the story aloud to himself a lot while playing lately, too, which is always a sign that a book is hit.  My little girl adores this story, as well, and just loves to say, "Boo!... Aaahhh!!" over and over when she plays with the plush Leonardo. We still have to do our nightly monster checks, but I think we've managed to convince W that Leonardo will keep any other monsters away while he sleeps.  Whether your little reader is afraid of monsters or simply loves a silly story, this is one you will want to look for on your next trip to the library.

Day 114: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy

If you have a preschooler and have not yet discovered Mo Willems' Pigeon books (or any books by him, really), you must go to your local library immediately and find one!  Seriously, you are missing out and need to read one of his fabulous stories as soon as possible.  You won't be disappointed, I promise.  We LOVE Mo Willems here in our house, and he is one of the few authors for whom I feel the need to own every single one of his books.  We featured one of all time favorites Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus back on Day 64, but felt we just had to share one of the equally hilarious sequels, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy.  If you're familiar with the Pigeon, you know that he pretty much is a preschooler in bird form:  he is funny, independent, charming, cute, clever, and wants what he wants when he wants it (which is usually NOW!)  He can go from endearingly sweet to tantrum mode in about .5 seconds, and doesn't like taking "No" for an answer.  The story begins in Willems' classic conversational form, with the Pigeon greeting us with a friendly, "Oh, hello.  How are you?  I'm fine.  Thanks for asking."  And then, as would any three year old intent on getting something he wants, he gets right to his point.  "By the way, do you know what I want?  What I've wanted forever...? [and then, in more of a secret whisper] At least since last Tuesday...?  A PUPPY!!"   He promises to take care of it and water it once a month (insert fits of child giggles here), only to then get mopey and defensive that we don't seem to be buying it. "Oh... I get it.  You don't want me to be happy, do you?  You don't want me to take a piggyback ride on my puppy!  Or play tennis with it!"  Just as his fit reaches its peak, we hear a "Woof!" off in the distance... and the pigeon gets his wish!  The comedy ensues as the pigeon meets the puppy (who is much bigger and slobbery than expected) and ultimately decides that he has changed his mind:  what he really wants is a walrus!  I'm always amazed at how much emotion Willems can convey in such simple drawings, and love the way he uses the text to emphasize the Pigeon's mood.  The font gets smaller when the pigeon is feeling sad, and bigger as his intensity and volume increase.  Be sure to read the pigeon's list of "Things I Want" on the title page; it is positively hilarious!  I know the day will come when my children are begging and pleading for a puppy in their own pigeon-style, but until then, I can simply sit back and enjoy reading this delightfully silly and engaging story.  Enjoy! 

Day 86: We Are in a Book!

Mo Willems has to be one of my absolute favorite children's book authors.  His books are clever, witty, silly, fun and a HUGE hit here in our household.  I'm not always sure who laughs louder when we read them, my son or us!  I received a Borders gift card as a birthday present recently, and used it to order a few of the many titles on our "must own" list.  Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books were buy one, get one 50% off, so I ordered four of them.  We gave my son We Are in a Book! yesterday and to say he loved it is an understatement.  He and my husband laughed their way through the whole story, and were only a few pages in when my son said, in between giggles, "This is such a silly book!"  Then, of course, came "Bananas!" said over and over again to fits of hysterical laughter.  "I have more to give!  More words!  More jokes!  More 'bananas!'"  Mo Willems is a master of taking incredibly simple illustrations and bringing them to life to tell a wonderful story.  He is also a master of engaging his readers.  Just like in the Pigeon books, he makes the reader part of the story.  This kind of audience interaction is sheer brilliance.  We especially love the way Piggie comes forward to the edge of the page to see us.  This is another series that is perfect for preschoolers and emerging readers.  And not to worry, Gerald.  Your books are sure to be read over and over again in our house. 

Day 64: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

I usually try to spread out posts by authors that we love, but my son is so excited by this book right now that I couldn't resist!  When his amazingly generous Uncle Jeff found out how much my son loved Knuffle Bunny, he sent it (and the fabulous sequels) to us, along with another Mo Willems classic, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!  (Thank you, Uncle Jeff!)  Like Knuffle Bunny, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a Caldecott honor book with fabulous illustrations and fantastically comical text that immediately engages young readers and makes parents smile.   Upon opening the book, you see Willems' simple, vintage-style illustrations of a pigeon dreaming about driving a bus.  Turn the page once more, and you meet the bus driver, who kindly asks you before the story even starts not to let the pigeon drive the bus.  Finally, we meet our determined little pigeon, who immediately says, "I thought he'd never leave!"  Then pausing, looking oh-so-innocent: "Hey, can I drive the bus?  Please?  I'll be careful."  And from the very first time we read this story, my son immediately yelled out, "No!" after each of the pigeon's requests with an ever-growing smile on his face.  I was amazed by how he immediately interacted with the story so fully, never doubting for a second that the bus driver was talking directly to him and that he was now in charge.  The pigeon's expressions in this book are priceless, as are my son's reactions to his incessant pleading to drive the bus.  The pigeon is clever and persistent in his requests until, after repeatedly being told "No!", he breaks down into a perfectly three-year-old-esque tantrum: "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!"  Any parent will be able to relate to the continuous pleading, and any child will be delighted to be the one finally saying, "No!" over and over and over.  There are a bunch of other Pigeon books in the series, and given our recent love affair with Mo Willems, I have no doubt we'll be bringing them home from the library soon. 

Day 59: Knuffle Bunny

Oh, how my son loves to read Knuffle Bunny!  There are so many things we love about this story that I don't know where to start.  If you haven't read it yet, you have to find a copy somewhere.  It is fabulous!  First, the general story line:  little Trixie accompanies her daddy to the laundromat with her favorite lovey in tow, only to accidentally leave it behind.  Unfortunately for Trixie and her daddy, she can't yet talk to tell him when she realizes Knuffle Bunny is gone.   "Aggle flaggle klabble!" she yells in desperation.  "That's right," replies her daddy, in a way all of us parents probably have at one time or another, "We're going home."  Nice try, dad.  Frustrated, Trixie tries again.  "Aggle flaggle klabble!  Blaggle plabble!"  Then pointing, "Wumby flappy?" And finally starting to tear, "Snurp."   My son just laughs and laughs and laughs at this part, and loves to say it over and over -- especially the snurp.  What child can't relate to a parent not understanding what he or she is trying to say?  And what parent can't relate to the frustration of the exact same thing?  My son loves the way this exchange plays out, and from a parent's perspective, I think Willems depicts everything about the situation perfectly.  Trixie bawls.  She goes boneless (my favorite part!) until finally, they arrive back home, miserable and cranky.  And then comes my husband's favorite part:  the mom opens the door and immediately noticing he is gone says, "Where's Knuffle Bunny?"  The relevance of the story to both parent and child is priceless, as are many other elements of the story:  the characters' expressions, the emotions they convey, and the illustrations throughout.  I just love the black and white photographs that serve as the background of all the illustrations (from nearby Willems' home in Brooklyn) and the colorful cartoon pictures that are superimposed upon them.  The contrast of the two is so striking and helps keep the pictures from being too busy for young readers.  It's a perfect combination, especially for a story that is short and simple in itself.  I will never forget the time I left "Rocky Racoon" (my favorite stuffed animal at the time) at a Barney ATM machine in Bloomfield, CT.  I was probably four or five, so unlike Trixie was actually able to tell my dad I had left him behind once I realized what had happened.  Also unlike Trixie, however, Rocky was gone when we went back.  I was crushed.   Rocky Raccoon was gone forever.  I'm still kind of scarred, I think.  Fortunately, I haven't yet had to endure such a crisis as a parent, but I'm sure my time will come.  When it does, I'll hope that our Knuffle Bunny tale will also have a happy ending.