Willems, Mo. The
Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!. New York: Hyperion
Books for Children, 2011. ISBN 0786818697
Our favorite city bird is
back, this time in THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG!, by Mo Willems. The story begins when the Pigeon gets lucky and
stumbles upon a hot dog, free for the taking.
After a brief celebration of his discovery, he prepares to take a bite
out of the hot dog when, out of nowhere, the Duckling scoots into the
picture. Full of questions, the Duckling
has never tried a hot dog before and is quite curious as to what they taste
like. The Pigeon, at first bothered by
the interruption, proceeds to explain the joys of a hot dog with great
enthusiasm. However, he soon turns
suspicious, certain that the Duckling is attempting to trick him into giving
him the hot dog. The Pigeon becomes
quite exasperated with the Duckling, until the small duck suggests an idea that
saves the day: the two birds can cut the hot dog in half and share the tasty
treat.
Mo Willems delights
readers with this short and quirky tale about sharing with your friends. The Pigeon’s dramatic outbursts and tendency
to overreact are sure to make kids laugh, while the clever Duckling is both
charming and comical. Willems’s
characters make the story engaging and interactive by glancing out at the
reader and even addressing them directly, such as when the Pigeon exclaims, “Can
you believe this guy?!,” in a moment of sheer exasperation with the
Duckling. Willems uses his familiar graphic
drawings and speech bubbles to illustrate the book, allowing the characters and
their dialogue to carry the story. The
illustrations give a backdrop setting, showing only solid pastel
backgrounds, which leave the story’s location to the imagination of the reader. The Pigeon’s anger is evident through Willems’s
font choice of block letters that grow bolder and larger with the bird’s
growing annoyance, and the Duckling’s unassuming yet clever personality shines
through his own small and succinct lettering.
The illustrations in THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG! are simple and minimal,
which works to highlight the back-and-forth banter between the two eccentric
birds. The book’s message is apparent by
the story’s end, as children will be reminded to share what they have with
those around them.
Publishers Weekly praises
that “Readers of all ages won’t be able to resist miming the sly conversation
in this satisfying sequel.” The Horn
Book states, “This well-paced story encourages audience interaction.” Children will celebrate the Pigeon’s return
in THE PIGEON FINDS A HOTDOG! and will quickly relate to his dilemma of having
something they just don’t want to give away or share.
As a big fan of Willems’s
DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!, I was slightly disappointed with this
follow-up book starring the same character.
I missed more of the Pigeon’s interaction with me, the reader, as he
tried to convince me to let him break the rules. While the Pigeon still showed his
determination to get his way in THE PIGEON FINDS A HOTDOG!, it was not as
entertaining for me when he mainly conversed with the Duckling instead of the
reader. I think this sequel was lacking
the personal engagement that makes the Pigeon books so funny and loveable. However, for other fans of DON’T LET THE
PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS, I would recommend Willems’s DON’T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP
LATE, where the Pigeon is back to his old antics of interacting with readers in
hopes of convincing them to let him break the rules and stay up late.
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For more adventures of the Pigeon and his friends, try reading:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, By Mo Willems, ISBN 078681988X
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, By Mo Willems, ISBN 0786837546
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!, By Mo Willems, ISBN 1423109600
Readers who like THE PIGEON FINDS A HOTDOG!'s cartoon illustrations may also like:
Scardey Squirrel, By Melanie Watts, ISBN 1554530327
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