The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Mo Willem's The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! features the beloved star of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and other funny picture books. This one captures the kinds of anxieties a kid can feel about going to school for the first time: What if I don't like it? What if the teacher doesn't like me? The story is silly and relatable, and the illustrations are a kick as they emphasize the bird's fretting and his one giant eye.
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What's the Story?
As the book opens, Pigeon tells readers not to read the title, which states, THE PIGEON HAS TO GO TO SCHOOL! Then he questions why he has to, especially since "I already know EVERYTHING!" He wonders, "WHAT IF I LEARN TOO MUCH!?! My head might pop off." He confesses, "The unknown stresses me out, dude." He finally comes around, but wonders how he'll get there ... until he sees the famous yellow school bus from a previous book.
Is It Any Good?
This rollicking, funny take on first-day-of-school jitters gets at the fears and concerns kids have that can make them not want to go at all. The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! identifies so many worries -- from heavy backpacks to finger paint that might stick to his feathers to getting a teacher who doesn't like pigeons -- and they all get the zany Mo Willems touch, while respecting kids' real anxieties.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the pre-school jitters shown in The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! Do you get nervous before going into a new situation? Do you remember how you felt on your first day of daycare or preschool or kindergarten?
Have you read other Pigeon books? How do you ike this one compared with those? Which one is your favorite?
Does drawing Pigeon with just one eye showing make his character funnier? Try drawing you own brd or animal. Would you give it one eye or two?
Book Details
- Author: Mo Willems
- Illustrator: Mo Willems
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Book Characters
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
- Publication date: July 2, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 7
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Paperback, Hardback
- Last updated: August 22, 2019
Our Editors Recommend
-
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Silliness that appeals to preschoolers.
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Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
The perfect go-to-bed book for stalling kids.
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We Don't Eat Our Classmates: Penelope Rex, Book 1
Kid T-Rex learns the rules in fresh, funny school story.
For kids who love funny books and school stories
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