From the Publisher
The Pigeon really, really, REALLY wants a Puppy. C'mon, he'll take good care of it! He'll play tennis with it, and water it at least once a month!
Will you let Pigeon's dream come true? In this fourth entry in the best-selling Pigeon series, this now-classic character has his funniest star turn yet.
The New York Times -
Daniel Handler
Willems proves once more that crayoned ornithology and impassioned monologues to the reader…can roost indefinitely in literature's rafters. In The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! the reader is encouraged to argue with the Pigeon, who tries everything from syrupy charm to hissy fits in hopes of persuading us to buy him the pet of his dreams. As with all the Pigeon volumes, from Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! onward, the ending involves one of those twists that seems obvious only in retrospect, and the artwork has Willems's trademark deadpan hysteria. This pigeon is really going places—although not, sadly, to the pet store.
Publishers Weekly
Unforgettably introduced in Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Willems's id-with-wings reveals that he's wanted a puppy "forever.... At least since last Tuesday" and swears he's ready to assume the responsibility of pet ownership ("I promise I'll water it once a month"). But he soon discovers that reality, well, it doesn't bite, exactly, but it has daunting teeth-and slobbers. While Pigeon is still a marvel of visual expression, Willems this time out has blunted his character's repertoire of persuasive tactics-and with the pleading dialed down, there's not much else to enjoy. There aren't enough examples of Pigeon's quick-thinking tactical maneuvers or the comic punch that comes from the cumulative onslaught. The core thrill of this series has always been offering kids the chance to experience pleading from the parental point of view-and exercise the awesome power to say no. This time, the response may simply be, "Whatever." Ages 2-6. (Apr.)
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3- The incorrigible bird returns in his fourth full-length romp. This time, Pigeon voices another common childhood dream: he wants a puppy. And he wants it NOW. He even promises to take care of it: "I'll water it once a month." He argues his case so forcefully that a puppy appears, but it's more than he expects: "The teeth! The hair! That wet nose!...I mentioned the teeth, right?" So he sets his sights on a different pet. Kids will love this perfectly paced picture book, which offers both the expected (breaking the fourth wall, Pigeon's classic temper tantrum) and a new twist (Pigeon actually gets what he wants? Impossible!). Willems's hilariously expressive illustrations and engaging text are cinematic in their interplay. Maybe kids won't appreciate the genius behind it the way adults will, but that won't stop them from asking for this book again and again.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD
Kirkus Reviews
The charming, exasperating pigeon returns, and this time he REALLY knows what he wants-or at least he thinks he does. As in his previous outings, he addresses the reader-"I'm fine. Thanks for asking"-and communicates a wide range of emotions through minimal words and a few deft pen strokes that brilliantly bring to life his one-of-a-kind personality. Following his now-familiar routine, the pigeon throws a tantrum and slyly attempts to manipulate the reader's (listener's) emotions: "You don't want me to be happy, do you?...You just don't understand." Be careful what you wish for might well be the moral of this tale, since the reality of a puppy turns out to be hilariously larger and more frightening than the pigeon's or readers' expectations. Even though the pigeon may get more than he bargained for, his many fans with find they get exactly what they've come to expect: lots of giggles. (Picture book. 4-8)
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