Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

written by Mo Willems 

Published: 2003

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus follows a Pigeon who has always dreamed of driving a bus. When he is restricted from driving the bus, he aims to bribe the reader to allow him to drive the bus, and grows in his anger and frustration. 

Visual Literacy and Character Development 

The illustrations within this book are used to strengthen and support the reader's understanding of the text. The first time that the reader is introduced to the Pigeon, the color scheme is very muted. The colors on the page are muted and warm, which allows the Pigeon's light blue to stand out. The Pigeon is small, and placed in the bottom left side of the page.  He is imagining what it would be like to drive a bus. The reader knows this because there is a thought bubble where he is daydreaming about driving a bus. He is visualizing how he would see himself driving a bus. His emotions when driving range from happiness to anxiety and the Pigeon appears tranquil as he daydreams. As the story progresses, the Pigeon becomes more focal, and fills up the majority of the pages. This confirms that the Pigeon is the main focus of the story. His eyes are open and he is engaging with the reader. The lines are loose and rounded in an effort to appear light and simple to the reader. It keeps the Pigeon simple and easily identifiable as a character. The actions and body posture of the Pigeon progress as the story progresses. The Pigeon's desire to drive the bus increases, but he is not allowed to drive it. Due to this, readers can notice within the illustrations, that the Pigeon gets increasingly frustrated. As the character gets agitated, so does his body language and irritation demonstrated through the illustrations.