by Mo Willems
Part of Pigeon
First published 2006
The bus driver rushes off to brush his teeth, leaving readers in charge of one very determined pigeon. The feathered troublemaker has no intention of going to sleep and launches into a series of increasingly creative excuses. He suggests watching an educational bird show on television, asks for a glass of water, and tries to start heartfelt conversations about the reader's day. Despite his best efforts to stay alert, the pigeon's eyelid begins to droop and yawns escape. His body language betrays his exhaustion even as he protests that he's not tired. The pigeon clutches his stuffed bunny and continues his bedtime negotiations, but drowsiness wins. Children become the authority figures in this playful power struggle, watching a character mirror their own bedtime resistance tactics with humor and charm.
Genres: animals, picture-books, comedy, childrens
Vibes: charming, playful, relatable, whimsical
Tropes: creative-excuses, power-struggle, reluctant-sleeper
Period: 21st-century
40 pages · Hardcover · Hyperion Books for Children