From the Publisher
When Pigeon finds a delicious hot dog, he can hardly wait to shove the entire thing in his beak. But . . . then a very sly and hungry duckling enters the scene and wants a bite. Who will be the more clever bird?In this hilarious follow-up to the acclaimed Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mo Willems has created another avian adventure that encourages children to share even their most prized processed foods. Mo Willems is a six-time Emmy Award-winning writer and animator for Sesame Street and the head writer of Cartoon Network's Code Name: Kids Next Door. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is the companion to Mo's first children's book, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! He is also the author of Time to Pee!.
The New York Times
I suspect that The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! suffers just a bit by comparison to its predecessor. It features the same great, sassy dialogue, the same satisfyingly clean drawing style, even the same hilarious freakout page where the pigeon just can't take it anymore. These pleasures are substantial, and should not be discounted just because the first book was even better.—Claire Dederer
Publishers Weekly
In Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, the hero was subordinate to an unseen person who withheld bus-driving permission; here he has the dominant role and must placate his own pesky interloper, as he bargains with a duckling over a discarded hot dog. The tale, conveyed in the same pleasing emotive dialogue and gestures, opens with the pigeon's thrilled discovery of the title snack: "Oooooh! A hot dog!/ Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" Suddenly, a smaller yellow bird enters from the lower right corner and asks, in rounded lower-case letters, "Is that a `hot dog'?" "Not a hot dog; my hot dog," the pigeon sniffs, but his reply gives the duckling a rhetorical advantage. "What do they taste like?" it wonders aloud. The pigeon knows the duckling's disingenuous game, but his suspicious, hooded eyes and frowning beak suggest uncertainty. The trickster, meanwhile, regards the pigeon through flirtatious blue eyes and coyly tilts its teardrop shaped beak. The pigeon glares at the audience ("Can you believe this guy!?!"), shouts "That's it!" in bold two-inch-tall caps and throws an eight-stage temper tantrum before splitting the wiener in half. "Hmmmm, needs mustard," says the duck. Through voice bubbles, body language, and expressive sizes and shapes of type, Willems crafts a comical give-and-take between the characters. He sketches both iconic birds in decisive crayony lines and tints the pages with smooth pastel hues. Readers of all ages won't be able to resist miming the sly conversation in this satisfying sequel. Ages 2-6. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Susan Hepler, Ph.D.
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Children's Literature
The Pigeon from Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is back and this time he's found a hot dog, which he plans to eat by himself even though a Duckling has scooty, scoot scoot-ed to the corner of the picture's frame. "A taste sensation...A celebration in a bun" the Pigeon brags to the hopeful and savvy little Duckling who'd like to have a bite. While the duck whittles away the Pigeon's resolve to eat his hot dog by asking plaintively what does it taste like, the Pigeon staunchly defends his find—It's mine! It's my right! Finders, keepers. But in the end guilty triumphs, or maybe it's compassion but we doubt it, and the Pigeon asks for help in solving this impasse. Share, is the Duckling's open-faced reply. Preschoolers who are very sensitive to sharing will laugh at the obviousness of it all, while older readers are sure to get the implied manipulation of the Pigeon by the knowledgeable Duckling when the little guy who has supposedly never even tasted a hot dog ventures that it "needs mustard." Willems' sophisticated cartoon makes great use of a cocked eyebrow, the big-eyed Duckling's postures, and the conversation balloon chat that escapes encapsulation when the Pigeon is exasperated. Children will be sure to note the single half-chomped hot dog on the back interior endpapers nearly lost in the repeating hot dog images that decorate both front and back endpapers. It's another triumph for Mo Willems and a generous serving of humor for hungry young readers. 2004, Hyperion, Ages 3 to 7.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1-In this second book featuring the star of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Hyperion, 2003), the shoe is on the other foot. Once again, the action starts on the title page, with the pigeon's joyous discovery of a hot dog. However, his initial delight is dampened when a small, wide-eyed duckling appears and asks, in a seemingly innocent manner, "Is that a `hot dog'?" The interloper's younger status is conveyed not just through his tinier size, but also through his dialogue, which is presented in smaller, rounder font. Though the duckling never directly asks for a bite, his incessant questioning-"Would you say that it tastes like chicken?"-infuriates the pigeon. Ultimately, the duckling's subtle approach proves successful, and both birds happily share the treat. Children, especially those with younger siblings, will have come up with this obvious solution long before the pigeon does. Willems's deceptively simple cartoon drawings convincingly portray his protagonist's emotional dilemma, from his initial joy to his frustration and struggle over what he wants to do versus what he knows is right.-Robin L. Gibson, formerly at Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
The determined pigeon of the Caldecott Honor-winning Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (2003) returns in a more subdued performance that will nevertheless appeal to fans of the first. The pigeon is about to eat the hot dog he's found, when a sly, persevering, small yellow duckling "scooty scoot scoots" up with a series of questions and comments. Willems again expertly captures the personality and emotions of the droll pigeon ("not a hot dog; my hot dog") and the "guest star" duckling, who manages to trick the pigeon into giving him what he wants, taking notes about the taste of a hot dog. "Each morsel is a joy! A celebration in a bun!" says Pigeon. "Does it taste like chicken?" asks the winsome duck. Another tantrum ensues, but the hot dog is split and shared. Duckling tops off his triumph with a complaint that gives him the final word, "Hmm . . . needs mustard." Some readers may feel this tale could also use a bit more mustard, but children who already love the pigeon will be satisfied. (Picture book. 2-8)
(7 ratings)
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