The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems

The Pigeon has wanted a lot of things: a hot dog, a puppy, to drive the bus. And each time, he's heard a lot of "No!"s. Now he finds out that The Duckling gets a cookie. What? How did he get a cookie? The Pigeon would love a cookie! How can he get a cookie, too?

Even though Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus was probably the first Mo Willems book that I read, it's the series that I've read the least. I have so much affection for Elephant and Piggie, I love the Cat the Cat books, and I really enjoy the stand-alone books like Hooray for Amanda and her Alligator! or Leonard the Terrible Monster. I wasn't long into reading The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?, though, before the pacing of the Pigeon books came back to me. I love the pages that are broken down into four squares, each showcasing the Pigeon in different faces of indignation. In the same way that Big Bird was meant to be a stand-in for a small child, the Pigeon reacts in ways that a preschooler might - pleading, whining, yelling, getting angry. I find the dynamic between the Duckling and the Pigeon to be an interesting one: they fall somewhere between friends (from the point of view of the Duckling) and rivals (from the point of view of the Pigeon). Reading this book with a child will be an opportunity to talk about great things like why does the Duckling get a cookie, how do you ask nicely for things, does the Pigeon ask nicely, and do you think the Duckling is telling the truth at the end of the book.



Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
The Pigeon Wants a Hot Dog by Mo Willems
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems