by Mo Willems
Part of Pigeon
First published 2005
The Pigeon faces a familiar foe: the bus driver who wants him to act happy. This stubborn bird has no intention of following orders about how he should feel. The Pigeon cycles through his full range of emotions, from anger to frustration to defiance. He pushes back against every attempt to make him cheerful. The bus driver keeps trying to change the Pigeon's mood, but this headstrong character won't budge. Their battle of wills unfolds across colorful pages as the Pigeon demonstrates that feelings can't be forced. The story captures the universal struggle between what others expect us to feel and what we actually experience inside.
Genres: picture-books, comedy, emotion, childrens
Vibes: emotionally-honest, humorous, relatable, whimsical
Tropes: authority-conflict, emotional-authenticity, stubborn-protagonist
12 pages · Board Book · Hyperion Books for Children