Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!

Pigeon

by Mo Willems

From #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems comes a new holiday classic.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—for driving a sleigh! ’Tis also the season—for driving a sleigh! Oh, and joy to the—driving a sleigh! The Pigeon has made a list and checked it once. Can his holiday dream come true? Or will The Pigeon be left out in the cold?

You’ll share some HO-HO-HOs and HA-HA-HAs finding out in three-time Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems’ ninth Pigeon book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Holiday, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2023

About the author

#1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems is best known for his Caldecott Honor winning picture books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale.

In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91.

The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's."

Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.

Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door.

He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.

Reviews

[stevie jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very loudly read this in Walmart and embarrassed both my brother and boyfriend with my pigeon voice lmao

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for my one-and-a-half year old niece as a Christmas gift. Like most of his familiar books, we see the pigeon trying to persuade his way into flying Santa’s sleigh for Christmas with so much funny-ness.

Kids will definitely love and giggle at the pigeon’s hilarious fourth-wall breaking attitude his holiday season, and my niece certainly will too. A- (91%/Excellent)

[Bridget Neace · Rating 5 out of 5]

YAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS.

The last new Pigeon book before this (the one with the roller coaster) was a let-down for me, but THIS festive new creation from Willems was just what this Christmas-loving nerdy family needed! :)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A return to form.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Pigeon. My students loved it.

[Harlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy pigeon!

[Lisa's Book Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bah. Also humbug. Santa won't let Pigeon drive the sleigh and Pigeon is SO upset ... until he meets a reindeer, and decides he has different plans.

Waiting eagerly now for the Easter sequel!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pigeon is back! Very cute.

[Mrs Heidrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fun and works so well if you know Willems' other Pigeon books. Kids will love this one! A fun addition to a holiday collection.

[kesseljunkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kid LOVED this book. She’s loved the entire series and this one delighted her. So, a new holiday classic discovered and a generous rating.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious!!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willems has done it again. Pigeon is determined to drive Santa's sleigh until he gets up close and realizes he doesn't know how. Humor comes through as readers interact with him as he tries to convince them to let him drive.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a Christmas book that’s as much fun to read aloud as it is for the kiddos listening! Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh is silly and fun. My kids loved telling the Pigeon no and I enjoyed the giggles that dramatic bird and his antics elicited.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

That wacky pigeon is back, and this time he's in a holiday spirit--he doesn't want to drive the bus, he wants to drive Santa's sleigh! There's all of the begging and silliness in this installment that made the Pigeon series so popular.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pigeon is eager to drive a certain someone's sleigh. Can you keep him away from disaster?

I was just going to mark this 4 stars. It is humorous and entertaining, and it gets points for having an unexpected reason for Pigeon to give up on the push to drive the sleigh he's afraid of reindeer! but it wasn't my favorite Pigeon book. And then I went to catalog it and noticed the copyright page. It's brilliant. Treat yourself and go take a look at that page you normally don't even glance at. It's hilarious, and earns a star all on its own, purely because I've never seen anyone do that before. Much appreciation to Pigeon, Mo Willems, and anyone else who was involved in making this something special for librarians.

[Jennifer OKeefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I have read all of the pigeon books together. It has been one of our favorites to read together since he was a little boy. He is now almost twelve. We saw it sitting on the shelf at Barnes & Noble today so we decided to sit in a quiet corner together where I read the book to him just as I used to. It did not disappoint! It will be a memory I cherish forever!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just awesome pigeon goodness (again)!

[Susan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love the pigeon! And I love the picture references to other Mo Willems characters, including Knuffle Bunny ears and E & P stockings.

[Toad Soup · Rating 5 out of 5]

My throat hurt from reading this out loud…

[Hilary Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I'm counting books I read to Rowan.

[Ray]

Would not trust the pigeon to be my Uber driver

[Ellice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pigeon is back, and this time he wants to drive Santa's sleigh. But don't let him. Another cute entry in the pigeon's saga.

[Lydia Underhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be one of my favorite Pigeon books ever! I love the Christmas story.

[Heidi Ostergaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids love reading these and this is a great Christmas version. They think Pigeon is hilarious

[Jenn O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mo Willems does it again. This laugh out loud holiday book is hilarious fun. Parents and children will have a great holiday romp with the titular pigeon.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are so cute and so nostalgic. I wore out our copy of Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late when my kids were little. I grabbed this and read through it at the library. So cute.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pigeon!

[Teresa Biggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bite Christmas book to add the seasonal reading. If you know this series you know there are jokes for kids and adults w great illustrations

[Dr. Bones]

hohoho
i always sleigh hahahahahha

[Katey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic pigeon, now with some festive demands.