The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!

PreS-Gr 1—Sure, he couldn't drive the bus, but will he have more success with a hot dog? The pigeon is back in this animated version of the book (Hyperion, 2004) by Mo Willems. In a twist, the hot dog is knocked from the end-papers by the bus driver from Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Hyperion, 2003; Weston Woods, 2009). Then the pigeon discovers it. What rapture! What bliss! What's that small voice? Yes, it's a duckling with many questions about hot dogs. The pigeon is caught between avarice and guilt, but settles on sharing. This hilarious yet simple story is done up in a splendiferous and rollicking fashion with simple yet fun animation and background colors and music that reflect every change in the pigeon's mood. The pigeon is enthusiastically voiced by Willems, while the duckling's part is performed by his daughter Trixie. A nice bonus is a 13-minute "Behind the Scenes" segment with Pete List, the director and animator, who explains the process of making an animated film. Students involved in their own short animation projects will find this a valuable resource. Subtitles are optional. This production will tickle viewers both young and old.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA