Run, Turkey, Run!

EK and PK children discussed Run, Turkey, Run! written by New Hampshire author (and my good friend) Diane Mayr and illustrated by Laura Rader.

I first heard this story several years ago when Diane brought it to our critique group to read. Because I've talked about this story so many times with my adult writer friends, it was great fun hearing what the children, Diane's intended audience, had to say about Run, Turkey, Run!

EK Kids Respond:

Sophie: The farmer was chasing the turkey because it was Thanksgiving and he really, really wanted turkey. The turkey keeped on trying to get away from the farmer. He goed in the pond, he rolled in the mud, he sticked his head in the bucket, and he hid in the trees and the farmer couldn't find him. On the end the farmer had grilled cheese and peas. I liked it because the turkey rolled in the mud.

Arthur: I liked it because this thing is upside down! [The cover of our copy of RUN, TURKEY, RUN! is upside down, so we needed to turn the book around and read from what appears to be the back. The kids loved it when I opened the book after we talked about the cover art and endpapers only to find we were looking at the upside-down last page of the book.] When he said, "Could he think I'm a pig when I'm in the mud?" And I liked when he saw he wasn't a pig. And I liked when he said, "Would he think I'm a duck when I'm in the water?" But he found he wasn't a duck. And when he said, "Could he think I'm a horse when I'm in this bucket?" When he said, "Would he think I'm a tree when I'm in the branch?" And he thought he was a tree! And that's all I like.

Keegan: How old is it? [I told Keegan the book was published in 2007 so it's two years old.] I'm way older than this. I'm almost five, so I'm way older than this. There's no such thing as a turkey that has a whole red neck. I did not like the book because there's no such thing as animals peeking out from a tree and talking. I don't know how old the barn is. It looks like it's red, so it's a red barn, so I think it's new. I like old barns. Up to camp there's a barn that was there before the barn that was there now. It got burned down. Hay burns once it's not dry. The year after that they built the new barn.

Leah: The turkey was sad because he was going to get cooked. And then the farmer was walking down the stairs and the turkey started running. Next the farmer was trying to get him and he went in the duck pond and then he saw him and then he went into the barn and stuck his head in the horse bucket and then he was running and his friends said, "Run, Turkey, run!" The farmer was chasing after the turkey. He was hiding behind the branches and the farmer didn't see him and then he danced along with his bunny friends. And then when they were going to get a Christmas tree they saw the turkey. And then they were going to have him for Christmas dinner and the kid said, "Run, Turkey, run!" And do you know what I liked the best? I like that the endpapers were the same.

Bella: I like how he was saying, "Pacock!" in the window. And then he got all muddy. He was trying to hide from the farmer. He was running and then he was swimming, but the farmer still knows where he was. Look it! He's sticking his head in the bucket. I'm done.

Allison: The farmer didn't know he was there [in the window]. Then the farmer was going downstairs and the turkey was running and he got mud on him because he splashed into the pig mud thing. Then the farmer was chasing after the chicken, and then he was swimming in the water. And then he got wet and he got wet, and then the chicken put he's head in the bucket, and then he was running again. And then his friends said, "Run, run!" And then he's hiding from the farmer behind the tree. Then the chicken and his bunnies were dancing. Then he was running away 'cause the farmer saw him.

Brooke N.: I liked it because he feeleded sad and the farmer went outside to get the chicken and he went in the mud and he went out of the mud and he went with the duck pool and he felled off and then his [the farmer's] shoes were all wet. And then he went in the farm and he said, "Go, Chicken! Run, run!" And then he screamed 'cause he found him in the tree.

Annalee: I liked it because the man was standing by the window. He was drinking coffee. The turkey was outside. Then the farmer whistled and he was going to catch the turkey. He ran. He went in the mud and the farmer didn't think he was a pig. They ran. He swam in the water like a duck. He went splish, splash out of the water. He went into the farm. He hid like a horsey. Then he [the farmer] had this one [the bucket] stuck on his boot. He hid like branches. He had a stick in his hand.

John: I think I have this book at home. The problem was that the farmer kept chasing the turkey and he never stopped. The turkey thought he could pretend he was a duck. And he pretended that he was a horse. And I like when all the animals said, "Run, Turkey, run!" And I like when the animals said, "Run from the farmer!" I like it because when it became Thanksgiving and they didn't have any turkey to eat the farmer was sad. And I like when the turkey was jumping around in the leaves with his bunny friends. And I like when the kid said, "Run, Turkey, run!" because they might eat him for Christmas dinner.

Brady K. said: I liked this story 'cause the turkey kept running from the farmer 'cause he was going to get eaten. The farmer didn't see him when he was hiding in the trees. That means he didn't get eaten.

Brooke B. didn't feel like talking about books today, but she did like Run, Turkey, Run!

PK Kids Responds

Kaitlyn:  The turkey had a bad day because the farmer was going to catch him. The turkey ran. The farmer looks mad. I thought it was a kid. Is the farmer a kid? He's in the mud! He got all muddy. A duck is in the water and even that turkey was in the water.

Acadia:  The farmer was going to cook the turkey for Thanksgiving. And they said, "Run, Turkey, run!" And then he was trying to get the turkey. I'm all done.

Christel:  It was crazy! He was going to get eaten by the farmer. What happened is he went downstairs and the turkey went, "Aaaah! Run. I'm going to run and run around all the way home to the woods!" He couldn't see the turkey hiding in the trees and he said, "At last! Am I safe? YES!" They find the chicken. They were looking for a tree for Christmas. "Run, Turkey, run to another tree!"

Summer:  The farmer was walking to the turkey and they said, "Run away, Turkey!" He walked down the stairs and he was coming to get the turkey. He couldn't find the turkey because of the trees.

Camryn:  The book was upside down! That was the funniest part! The farmer was chasing the turkey 'cause he wanted to eat him. He couldn't catch the turkey. He was run, run, run! They turkey hided and he got mud. He slide down in the water then the farmer went down. 
 
Katherine:  I like when the turkey was looking sad because he had a bad day because they're going to eat the turkey for Thanksgiving. I like the part when the farmer went down with the bag and he was chasing after the turkey and the turkey ran. I like the part when he was all muddy in the mud. I like the part when the pigs were yelling at the turkey and saying, "Run, Turkey! Run, Turkey!" I like the part when he was in the water and the ducks looked under the water. I like the part when he jumped right out of the water and started running again. I like the part when he was running down the hill and stuck his head into the box and the horsies looked at the turkey and said they know that he was a horse. And I like the part when the turkey ran out of the barn and the farmer was chasing after him and he was running and said, "Clinkety clank. Clinkety clank." I like the part when the turkey put the bucket on his head and his friends said, "Go, Turkey! Run, Turkey! Run, Turkey!" I like the part when he ran into the forest. I like the part when he was look at the farmer and the farmer went back home and the turkey was safe at last. I like the part when he sat down at the rectangle table. I like the part when the turkey did the dance. I like the part when the family came and the little girl looked at the turkey and said, "Go, Turkey! Go, Turkey! Go!"

Emelyn: I like this part! [In the pig pen.] I thought the farmer thought this was a pig 'cause this had mud on it 'cause pigs have mud on it. He got out! He chased him! I like the farmer thought he was a duck.

Eva: I like the part when he ran through the mud. That was silly! I like when he got in the boat and the chicken was in the boat [pond] and he [the turkey] had this thing [goggles] on his face and he [the farmer] fell out of the boat and he was all wet. And when the chicken went in the barn. He put his head in the food bucket and the farmer saw his back. That's silly!

Mack: He was going to get eaten by the farmer. He was drinking some coffee and then he went out and had a bag to catch the turkey in and he chaseded him and then he started chasing him again. The turkey was in the mud so he couldn't see him. And then the farmer started chasing him again and then the farmer looked and see him in the water and he was in the horse one and then he went in the woods and then he didn't get eaten and then the sister said, "Run, Turkey, run!"

Brady L.: The farmer was going to get this turkey for dinner. And this farmer is covered in mud because he was trying to catch the chicken, but then the ducks said, "Go, Chicken, go!" Then the chicken stucked in the bucket.  And then the farmer stepped with the bucket on his foot. And then the pig said, "Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"  That's all I know.

Mikayla: He's going to eat the turkey. That thing went in the mud. He was chasing that turkey again.

Emmett didn't feel like talking about the book, but he liked it. He said, "I'm too busy playing!" Playing is the most important thing we do here, so I agreed that he needed to keep at it.

Feeling Thankful

Children in all classes read Feeling Thankful written by Shelley Rotner and Sheila Kelly, Ed.D. and illustrated by Shelley Rotner. After, they reflected on the things in their lives for which they are thankful.

EK and PK Children commented on November 23rd.

Keegan said, "I'm thankful for steam trains, old army airplanes, old cars, old steam boats, and old steam cars, but those are a hundred dollars."

Brooke B. said, "I'm thankful for my Mom, Dad, cat, and brother. There's two more things. I'm thankful for my cousin and my Mimi and my Papa."

Bella said, "I'm thankful for my dogs, Wigel [rhymes with "Nigel" -- I'm guessing at the spelling] and Gertie."

Leah said, "I'm thankful for my Mommy 'cause she helps when I need help. She pushed me on the swing set sometimes. She puts on a show when I get home from Ellen's. I'm thankful for my flowers that I have in my garden."

Allison said, "I'm thankful for my dog, Hunter. I love him. I'm thankful for my Mommy and my Daddy.  They let me play games."

Hayden said, "I'm thankful for my family 'cause I love them. I'm thankful for the breeze 'cause it might be nice and warm. I love to color trees and houses and bats and pigs. I'm thankful for animals 'cause I want to go to a party with animals because I'm invited to Tess's animal party with baby kangaroos and skunks. And I'm going to go to Papa's party and there'll be real presents. Santa's going to bring one present and I really want Handy Manny's workshop for Christmas. My birthday is after Santa. Why are you having a birthday? You're not going to have a pinata. That's only for kids. I'm going to have a pinata because I'm a kid."

Brooke N. said, "I'm thankful for my family because when Leah comes over she just takes off her shoes 'cause she always wants to get in my house first. I love to go to the park.  I like going to Storyland and go to Santa's Village."

Annalee said, "I'm thankful for my doggies, Rocky and Lady. Lady runs real fast. I'm thankful for flowers. I like to paint. I like to run."

Sophie said, "I'm thankful for Mommy because every school day she lets me watch TV and then have a snack. I'm thankful for my sister Alexa because she makes me laugh."

John said, "I'm thankful for my family because my Dad gives me treats once in a while and my Mom always says goodnight to me and because my dog Litunga when I go upstairs to do all my nighttime chores before I go to bed my dog comes up with me. And Arthur because sometimes he shares some of his animals with me. I'm thankful for my animals. Nanny gave me a few of the animals. Most of them my Mom just buyed for me. I'm thankful for that I have toys and I'm thankful for that I have a great family."

Arthur said, "I'm thankful for a lot of animals. A lot of people gave them to me. And I like being with my Mom and my Dad because at the end of our dinner we get our treat and a show. And if I ever go outside just with Litunga I like being with him. And if we go at the hotel for a sleepover I can bring three of mine animals. And I like to play computer games and print out stuff and I like when Litunga licks me. And I like my family -- Mommy, Daddy, John, Litunga, you, Nanny. I just like the end of the day when we could print out stuff and that's all."

Brady said, "I'm thankful for my house because it's big and because I have a radio in it. I'm thankful for my family -- Ryan, Kevin, Tess, Mama, Daddy, Remmie. They take care of me."

Daniel said, "I'm thankful for having a family that loves me. I'm thankful for having nice friends. We play and I think we read books, too. I can't read but I think in one book I can read, but not all of the page. When Dad comes home and Lightning's outside she barks. I'm thankful for having fruits and vegetables."

PK Comments

Mikayla said, "My Daddy because he picks me up and gives me a big hug."

Kaitlyn said, "For my Mom because she feeds me everytime when I need to eat. She tucks me in when it's nighttime. She takes care of me."

Brady L. said, "My family, my dog, and I'm thankful for my Grandmas and Grandpas and I'm thankful for my friends."

Mack said, "I am thankful for my Mom because she has candy for me. She does good things for me like read stories to me and make cakes and set up birthday parties. I'm thankful for you because I like you. Everyone likes you, you know." [Note: Mack just "made" my entire holiday season!]

Emmett said, "I am thankful for my toys. I'm thankful for my Superhero toys and I'm thankful for my sister and you." [Note: Emmett was not influenced by Mack as he didn't hear her dictate her blog entry. My holiday season is getting better by the minute!]

Camryn said, "I'm thankful for myself. I'm thankful for water, soap, numbers. I'm thankful for Nantay. I play with her a lot. I'm thankful for John. [Note: John happened to be standing and listening to Camryn dictate her blog entry.]

Christel said, "I'm thankful for the zoo and the zebras. I'm thankful for the sink 'cause I like to wash my hands and it's really fun at Mimi's house. I use the big tub soap, kind of like tub soap, it looks like a tub, and I put some water on it and I wash my hands. It's really fun. I'm thankful for you because I like your glasses and your shirt. I'm thankful for pianos at Mommy's school. I get to play with the cymbal at Mommy's school." [Note to self: Wear that shirt and those glasses more often.]

Emelyn said, "I love my cousins. J.J. and Ethan. I'm thankful for pizza. I'm not thankful for anything else. Only pizza."  

Acadia said, "I like my Mommy because she lets me read books at night. She gives me healthy food. I like to jump and play."

Summer said, "Mommy because she gives me gum. She snuggles me. I'm thankful for Daddy."

Eva said, "I'm thankful for being The Mystery Kid. I like my Mommy tucks me into night and she kisses me and I love her kisses. And I love to be The Mystery Kid."

Katherine said, "I'm thankful for my Mama because everyday Lily likes us and everyday she just wants to eat with Mommy. I'm thankful for my Daddy coming here to bring me here." 

CPG Children commented on November 20th.

Alec said, "I'm thankful for my toys. My favorite is little, tiny diggers. Little dump trucks. I'm thankful for animals like bugs and hornets. Oh, I don't like hornets! I like bugs."

Aidan C. said, "I'm thankful for my Mom because I love her. She turns on the TV for me and she lets me wash dishes."

Lindsey said, "Turkeys!"

Aiden R. said, "I'm thankful for my house. My family lives in it. I play with my toys."

Olivia said, "Turkeys! Pumpkins! The playground! Dogs and cats! Zebras! Elephants! Cows!"

Aria said, "Mommy! Her makes stuffing and cranberry chicken and rice. I like plain rice. Maggie bite my hand and Mommy said, 'Go outside!' When I was coughing her take me to my hospital. I love Mommy!"

Ryan said, "My family because Mama has long hair and I like to snuggle with her. Because Dada plays X-Box. My Grammy says, 'Okay. I'll ask Santa if you can buy the Wii for Christmas. But be a good boy because he's watching you right now.' Because Brady's my friend and I wish he was my family. And Jasmine bites bad guys, and kitty can scratch the bad guys and he can jump on the bad guy's head and claw him and he can rip his hair. Because Tommy says, 'Oh, you can come up to watch me play X-Box 360 the new Call of Duty when I finish my homework.' Because Shannon makes the cat try to scratch me and I go, 'Aaaah!' She's teasing. Me and Nenah went on a hunt on night, but we didn't see any grizzly bears. The car door shut and went, 'Aaaah!' I said, 'Something may be following us.' And Dad was like, 'Aaaaah!' He screamed. And I went, 'Dad, don't tease me!'  It was funny."

Brady D. said, "For my family because Jake let me watch him play 3XD. Because Tommy Boy lets me in his room. Darby says, 'Don't come in here!' Then her says, 'Go away!' I'm thankful for my cats because I feed them and because they like me. They lick me. One of the cats had a tick on her head. Shannon took the tick off and it dropped on my Mom's upstairs table and the tick opened up and all this stuff came out. I'm thankful because my Mom likes me. And my Dad. We went hunting for deer."

Maeve said, "I'm thankful when Noni gives me presents and movies. I'm thankful for books. My favorite is Racecar Driver.  I'm happy when Mommy brings presents.  I'm thankful for Daddy when he gives me phones."

J.J. said, "I'm thankful for all of my stuffies. I like to play with them. My favorite is the multi-colored cat. I'm thankful for my Mama and my Daddy because they're nice to me when I'm good. Because I love them and they let me sleep with them when I'm scared. Because they give me stuff that's hard for me to reach."

Teagan said, "For my door and my house. I'm thankful that I'm going to get a playground. I'm thankful for Lisa.  I'm thankful for the whole, wide world."

EK kids talk pigeon. PK kids talk turkey.

The EK kids extended the Mo Willems conversation started by the PK and CPG children last week.

Brooke B. discussed Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!: I liked it because, "Hi! I'm the bus driver. I'm leaving for a little bit, but don't let the pigeon drive the bus." I liked it when the pigeon said, "I thought he'd never leave." When he said, "Can I drive the bus?" "No!" "Please?" What did all that say again? [Brooke is looking at the double page spread in which the pigeon pleads, whines and lists several reasons why he should be able to drive the bus.] The bus driver came back before he could get a chance to drive the bus. The pigeon said, "Hey!" And then he was thinking about driving the truck.

Bella discussed The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!: I like how the duckling marched onto the page. I like how the pigeon was getting mad. He was just being goofy. The duckling was just asking that he wants to have a hot dog. I like how he was writing down all the stuff. I like how the pigeon just yelled at the duckling. Look. There's two words. The duckling was just laying.

Leah discussed The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!:  The pigeon wanted a puppy. And do you know what was the funniest part? The puppy page because he was afraid. He said, "I want a walrus!" That was so funny! And you know what? Some of the pages are funny. And you know what? He was scared and he jumped out of the page. That was the funniest. I laughed at that part!

Brooke N. discussed The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!:  He said, "I want a puppy! I will feed him one thing of water." What does this say again? He wanted a puppy. He heard barking and then he freaked out and he jumped out of the page because the dog was huge. And then he wanted a walrus.

Hayden discussed The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!:  You know I love hot dogs! And look! A little chick is peeking out at the hot dog. He found a hot dog and he jumped out of up there and then he flapped his feathers and he's so glad to have a hot dog. And then he hold the hot dog and he flapped his feathers and he can't wait to eat it. Then the pigeon got so mad because the chickie wanted the hot dog and he didn't know what kind it is. He don't know what a hot dog is for. The duck wrote HOT DOG, CHICK PET, and BIG DOGGY on his list. The chick had an idea. The chick said to the goose, "Let's share that hot dog!" And he thought, "This is my hot dog!" And on the next page, on the back of it says, "Split it!" The goose holds the hot dog up in the air and the chick can't get it. Then they split it and then the goose and the chick really like the hot dog. He thought he didn't like a hot dog, and he did! He loved the hot dog!

Allison discussed Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!:  The pigeon couldn't drive the bus. The bus stop man walked away. I'm done.

Annalee discussed The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!:  He found a puppy at the end. It scared him. He wanted a hippopotamus.

Sophie discussed The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!:  The pigeon is so excited. He found a hot dog, but he didn't want to share it. He screamed and shouted and he saw a duckling and he didn't want the duckling to eat it all so in the end he gave the duckling a part of the hot dog. The duck said it needed a little mustard. That is funny!

Brady K. discussed Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!: When the bus driver walked away the pigeon was sneaking into the bus. He said, "I thought he'd never leave." He wants to drive the bus. He can't drive the bus. He's thinking about driving the truck.

Dev discussed The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!: The pigeon wanted to get a puppy. He was hiding from the puppy. He changed his mind. He wanted these. [Points to walrus crate on endpapers.]

Daniel discussed The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!: The pigeon and the duckling. I think the duckling's really cute. The duckling was being mean of bugging about the hot dog. The pigeon didn't want to say anything, so he had black stuff above his head. This page was kind of silly. I don't know what those letters say. That's an A and that's an S. The duckling thought about splitting the hot dog, and he said, "Hmmm. This needs mustard." The hot dog needed mustard. And on this [endpapers] one there was a bunches of full hot dogs and one split in half.

Keegan discussed The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!: That's ridiculous! Somebody dropped a hot dog and it's probably dirty. He must be one dumb pigeon. The duckling was trying to take it. It wanted to steal the hot dog 'cause he wanted to steal it. It's dirty! That's it.

John discussed The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!: The pigeon went flap, flap, flap and said, "Oooooh! A hot dog!" And I like that he said, "Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" The pigeon didn't want to share his hot dog with the little duckling. The duckling wanted the hot dog. And the pigeon didn't want him to have the hot dog. And the pigeon was relaxing and going to eat the hot dog. He got really mad because the duckling was annoying him. The duckling said, "Does it taste like chicken?" And I like when the pigeon said, "Can you believe this guy!?!" And then he said, "It just tastes like a hot dog, okay?" And I like when he said, "Finders keepers, that's what I say! What does a hot dog even taste like? Blah, blah, blah." The little duckling said, "I have an idea." They they splitted the hot dog.

Arthur discussed The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!: My favorite was when he said, "The slobber and the teeth and the claws and the wet nose."

PK kids discussed This is the Turkey written by Abby Levine and illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye.

Kaitlyn: The turkey went flying. It landed in the fish tank. They ate other stuff. They made pumpkin pie.

Katherine: I like the part when Max picked out the turkey. I like the part when the sister was making bread. I like the part when the Grandma when she bringed the beans. I like the cousins and the cookies and the brownies. I like the part when she tripped over the little boy and I like when the turkey went flying. And I like the part when it fell in the fish bowl. I like when Grandma came back. And I like when Grandpa said, "I'm hungry. Let's eat!" I like the part when they all sat down.

Mikayla: The cat jumped over there because the water splashed. The turkey got wet.

Emelyn: They throwed the chicken in a fish tank. They got fish poop on it. They don't like fish poop. They ate everything else.

Brady L.: The family came. The girl tripped over a boy and then the turkey went in a fish pond.

Emmett: I want to tell you the silly part. The mom tripped over the kid and the kid tripped over the car. The turkey went flying. It landed in a fish bowl. And look! A fish is flying!

Mack: The sister tripped over the little brother. The turkey fell in the fish tank. They had plenty more to eat. And then all of the customers leave and they had a happy Thanksgiving Day.

Camryn: The chicken just falled into the fish tank 'cause the lady just tripped over Max. That was funny!

Christel: The turkey fell in the fish tank. The sister dropped it and tripped over the boy. They had all the other stuff. It was salad, famous green beans, cranberry sauce, bread, pumpkin pie, and maybe some squash, I guess. They played games, looked at family in pictures, and the fishies were all back in their safe home. They had a good time. And then all of them went to the door and the boy was the one that said, "I think we had the best Thanksgiving ever!"

Acadia: I can't know what the story telled. I liked it, but I can't know what it says. [Acadia picked out her favorite page. It was the one in which the turkey went flying into the fish tank. Who'd a thunk?]

Summer: The turkey went in the fish bowl. They couldn't eat it. They ate salad. They ate green beans. They looked at pictures. And that one still's eating dinner!

Eva: She tripped on the child. "Yikes!" The turkey fell in the fish tank. They had lots of vegetables and no turkey. They look happy. Even Max, like my brother Max! That one's sleeping on the couch. You're not supposed to sleep on the couch! You're supposed to sleep in bed. Here's the fish tank. Hey, I don't see any turkey in the fish tank anymore. Maybe they threw it in the trashcan. He's blowing on the coffee. You're not supposed to blow on the coffee! And these two are playing a game. And those two are looking at the family pictures. Hey. They're coming in here. Everybody left to go home. Max said, "This is the best Thanksgiving that is sold out!"

What Did He Say There??

Typically when I sit down to write this blog with a student, I'll ask the child to tell me what happened in the book. If that doesn't elicit much of a response, I'll ask the child to talk about his or her favorite part. Either way, the child will usually leaf through the book, sometimes talking about each page, sometimes choosing a favorite illustration to discuss.

His or her commentary is usually driven by the illustrations, which presented a bit of a dilemma when we discussed the pigeon books. You see, there's not a lot of action or change of scene in the pigeon stories. With a few exceptions, most of the pigeon-book illustrations depict the pigeon standing in a scene devoid of scenery and other characters. It's just a pigeon on a blank page. Granted, the pigeon is emoting all over the place, but a child has to be able to "read" the pigeon's body language and facial expressions in order to "get" what's going on in the story. That's a pretty tall order for 3 and 4-year olds with only one or two readings of the story under their little belts.

When we sat down to write the blog, the kids looked through the pigeon books, asking over and over, "What did he say there?" Without the visual cues more detailed illustrations typically provide, many of the children simply did not know how to go about retelling the story. They could all pretty much get the set-up for the story, and the final resolution, but what happened in between was a bit of a muddle for many. I found it interesting to hear the responses to the pigeon stories, and I hope you find those responses just as interesting to read. (I think you'll be able to determine which children have these books in their own libraries.)

Last week, the Prekindergarten children read the following Mo Willems books: my copy of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, John and Arthur's copies of The Pigeon Wants a Puppy and The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, and Katherine's copies of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity and Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct. The PK kids voted for their favorite Mo Willems book, and The Pigeon Wants a Puppy was the winner with 6 out of 14 votes. Many thanks to Katherine, John and Arthur for sharing their Mo Willems books with us!

PREKINDERGARTEN RESPONSES

Kaitlyn talked about Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: They're all my favorites so it's a hard decision. I'll talk about Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. It was a good book.  I liked the first page. The bus driver had to go out for a little while and he said, "Can you watch things for me? Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo." He walked away. "I thought he'd never leave," the pigeon said. "Hey, can I drive the bus? Please? I'll be careful. I tell you what: I'll just drive." What's his cousin again? I forget that one. [Me: Herb.] "My cousin Herb drives the bus almost every day. True story. Vroom-vroom! Pigeon at the wheel." He was going to drive the bus, but he couldn't. "But, I'll be your best friend. I'll give you 20 bucks. No fair! I never get to do what I want! Please? Double please? LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!! Hi, I'm back! You didn't let the pigeon drive the bus, did you? Oh, no! Bye! Hey . . ." That was a funny part. It was a good book!

Katherine talked about Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: I like the part with the endpapers where the pigeon is thinking about driving the bus. I like when he's peeking out right there. I like he was walking to see he was going to drive the bus. I like when he was telling his friends he wanted to drive the bus. I like the part when his friend told him not to drive the bus. I like the part when he ran and his friend didn't like the pigeon to drive the bus. I like the part when he was look what else he could drive. I like the part when he said he would give him twenty dollars. And I like the part when the driver came back and said, "I hope you didn't let the pigeon drive the bus." I like the part when he drived away and the pigeon was real sad. And then I like the part when he saw the big truck. I like the part when he was thinking about he could drive the truck.
 
Mack talked about Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct: I like the endpapers because the cookies. There was one kid that didn't like her and then they were in the class and then this page came next and the teacher said she might make cookies now and then he left out in the class and then the page with Edwina again. And then he went out of school and brushed his teeth and went to bed. And then this page when he handed out the paper. And on this page he was sad and sat down and cried. And then Edwina came and he brought her to school, and then this page, and then this page is where she didn't care and it was the part where he didn't care either and then she made chocolate chip cookies for him and then the same endpapers.

Emmett talked about Knuffle Bunny: I like the page with "Aggle, kaflaggle, snurf!" He got in the washing machine and her dad couldn't find him.

Emelyn talked about Knuffle Bunny:  I like there 'cause these guys went over there that baby noticed that he didn't see Snuffle Bunny. He forgot that he put the Snuffle Bunny in the washing machine. He wanted to go back and get it.

Camryn talked about Knuffle Bunny Too: That girl's mean. She had a Knuffle Bunny, too. The teacher took the Knuffle Bunnies away 'cause they took it away from someone. They returned them. She had the wrong one. She woke up and that wasn't her Knuffle Bunny. She marches in Mama and Daddy's room. She said, "That's not my bunny!" They had to call them. They had to run in their jammas outside. Now they got back together again. Now they're back where they belong. They're hugging with their Knuffle Bunnies.

Brady L. talked about Knuffle Bunny: They were going to wash the jeans. And then he got to put the money in then they walked home. Then he forgot his bunny. Then he started to cry. And then he said, "No!" He's crying. Mommy said, "Where's Bunny?" Then they go back to the washing machine. Then they find him.

Acadia talked about Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus:  The pigeon wants to drive the bus. I liked that part. I'm finished.

Summer talked about Knuffle Bunny Too:  I like the girl Knuffle Bunny. [Summer, as did Brady L. and several other kids, thought the original Knuffle Bunny story featured a boy character, which it does not. The main character is a nearly bald baby girl. Knuffle Bunny Too takes place a few years later, and the baby character is now a preschooler and very obviously female, which is why Summer declared that she liked "the girl Knuffle Bunny."]  They had the wrong one. He had to switch in the night.

Christel talked about The Pigeon Wants a Puppy: The pigeon said, "I want to drive a bus. I want a hot dog. I want a puppy." He got scared and surprised when the puppy came.  And he wanted to lick him. He was scared. "I want a walrus!"

Mikayala liked Knuffle Bunny best.

Eva talked about Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct: She was extinct. She ran out of the building. The boy went out. [Eva spotted Knuffle Bunny in an illustration.] Hey! Knuffle Bunny!  And look at this part. The boy doesn't like Edwina because she is extinct. He didn't like her, and then he did like her.

John talked about The Pigeon Wants a Puppy:  He's going to play tennis with it, and he's going to have a piggyback ride on the puppy. And I liked when he said, "Puppy! Puppy! Puppy!" And I liked when he said, "A puppy!" And I liked when he said he wanted a puppy at least since last Tuesday. And I liked when he said, "Oh, I got it. You don't want me to be happy, do you?" And I liked when he said, "I'm a puppy-lovin' pigeon!" And I liked when he said, "You just don't get it." And I liked when he said, "Puppies!" And I liked when he said, "I WANT A PUPPY! HERE RIGHT NOW!" And the puppy said, "Woof!" And he said, "What was that?" And the puppy went, "Woof! Woof!" And I liked when he said, "Have my dreams finally come true?" And I like when he said, "The teeth! The claws! I mentioned the teeth, right? Really, I had no idea!" I liked it because he was afraid of the puppy. And I like when he said, "I change my mind." I like when he said, "I want a walrus." That was the silliest page I thought it was on.

Arthur talked about The Pigeon Wants a Puppy: The pigeon wants a hot dog, but that's not my favorite part. My favorite part was he said, "Aaaaaagghh!!!' because the dog was big. He said, "The slobber. The teeth. And did I mention the claws?"  He said, "I want a walrus!" It will be much bigger than the puppy! 

The Creative Play Group children read my copy of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Arthur and John's copies of The Pigeon Wants a Puppy and The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog.

CREATIVE PLAY GROUP RESPONSES:

Olivia talked about Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: The pigeon said, "I want to drive the bus." Then he wanted to drive the big truck. That's so funny! That was so funny!

Alec talked about The Pigeon Wants a Puppy:  The pigeon wants a puppy. He screamed. [When the puppy came.] It was funny!

J.J. talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog: The little ducky -- I liked that! And the hot dog! He [the pigeon] was surprised because he saw a hot dog. And I liked because the ducky came. I liked the new, little character.

Aiden R.: talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog: He's keeping his hot dog. He doesn't want his duck to get it because he wants it so much. [Turns to last illustration.] The pigeon's sharing!

Lindsey liked The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog.

Aria talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog: He found a hot dog. He said, "Oh, my! Oh, my! I found a hot dog!" The duck said, "Can I have a bite of your hot dog?"  The pigeon said, "It's my dog!"  The little duck keeped talking to him. The pigeon said, "It's my hot dog!" [Looks at last illustration.] He shared it.

Ryan talked about Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: He said, "I want! I want! Please, please!" He couldn't drive it because he's not allowed to. He said, "I don't care! I'll do it right now!" [When the driver came back he said,] "Aw! Thanks for watching him! Bye-bye!" At the end the pigeon decided to drive a truck.

Brady D. talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog:  He didn't share his hot dog with a little duck. Then they shared.

Teagan talked about Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus:  Uh-oh! The pigeon's in a bus! Don't let the pigeon drive the bus! There he is, sneaking in the bus. There he is, looking at the bus. [Flips to last illustration.] He's dreaming about a truck.

Maeve talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog: He ate the hot dog from the duck. The duck wanted a hot dog with him. He wanted to share with him. They split it.

Aiden C. talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog: The duck wanted the hot dog when the bird ate the hot dog. The bird shared it.

John talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog: I liked it when the pigeon said, "Aaaaaaahhh..." And I liked when he went flap, flap, flap.  I like when he said, "A hot dog!" And I like when he said, "Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" And I like when the little duckling went, "Squeek, squeek, squeek," into the page. And I like when he said, "Who are you?" The pigeon wanted his hot dog all to himself and the duckling wanted to know what it tastes like. I like when the little duckling was writing down everything. And I like when the little duckling said, "What does it taste like?"  "Not A hot dog, MY hot dog." That's what the pigeon said that I liked. And I like because he said, "What does it taste like? Is it chicken?" I like because at the end cover of the book one hot dog been aten.

Arthur talked about The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog:  My favorite part was when he saw a  hot dog. And mine other part when he flapped, flapped, flapped and when he holded the hot dog and my other favorite part was the little duckling peeking out of the page and when he walked, walked, walked so fast. The duckling said, "Is that a hot dog?" That was my favorite part. The pigeon is holding the hot dog and the duckling is writing everything down. My favorite part is he's holding the hot dog and he's mad. And the other holding the hot dog and another holding the hot dog and the duckling said, "Enjoy!" And mine other favorite part when he said, "Does the hot dog taste like chicken?" And my other favorite part when the pigeon said, "Could you believe this guy!?!" And my other favorite part was he was tapping his foot. And when he was so mad. And he was thinking dark and when he put his hand on his head and when the bird was flying. And when he was very mad and my other favorite part was when the duckling fell down on his head. And when he said, "I have a idea!" And when they split the hot dog. And my last favorite part was when I saw this -- the hot dog was broken apart on the end papers. [When Arthur speaks of "thinking dark" he's referring to the wordless double-page spread pictured above. While we were reading the story, one of the children wanted to know what the "scribbles" above the pigeon's head meant. I said that maybe the pigeon was thinking dark thoughts.]

EK CHILDREN will add their 2 cents next week.

We Want More Mo!

This week and next, prompted by the book John brought in to share, we are reading several Mo Willems books in all classes. The children will share their thoughts next week, but in the meantime I thought you might enjoy reading a related blog post I wrote at The Write Sisters today. It's entitled Rethinking the Pigeon, and your children's reactions to Willems books inspired me to write it.

You and your children might enjoy watching this video of Mo Willems talking about many of the characters he has created.



I just had an idea! If any of your kids have any Mo Willems books in their personal collections, send the books into school next week. (If you want to, of course!) We'll make a book graph with the books and count how many Mo books the kids collectively own. (I'll stick a post-it note in each book with the owner's name so we don't mix up the books.)

I'll be back next week!