Fabulous Children's Books

The nightly ritual at our house is for the kids to brush their teeth and then cuddle with mom or dad for a book (or three) before bedtime.  My children have amassed quite a collection of books, but both are partial to the Pigeon series by Mo Willems.   

We started with The Pigeon Wants a Puppy.  It quickly became a household fave.  The kids love the illustrations and the funny voices their dad and I use for the Pigeon.  I love that there is humor on a number of levels and I don't have to make up fake words to entertain in lieu of a plot.

When we successfully wore the pages out, we graduated to Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.  I find this one particularly hilarious, though the toddlers have not yet grasped the ridiculousness of a bird as bus driver, so the guffaws usually come from me.  This one also happens to be a Caledecott Medal winner.  I know, you're impressed.

Our most recent purchase is The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog.  My husband loves this one because (spoiler alert!) the pigeon and his companion appreciate the delicate flavor that mustard brings to the hot dog.  Seriously, my husband likes to debate anyone who will listen on the merits of a Chicago hot dog.  Always mustard, never the evil ketchup.  So this book appeals to his hot dog sensibilities.  But I digress.

I was very pleased to discover that there are a few more books in this series, and that Mo Willems has a number of other fantastic books to add to the kids' wish lists.  Happy reading!