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.