School Library Journal Starred Review

PreS-Gr 2-The star of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Hyperion, 2003) returns in another irresistible tale. Hurrying away to brush his teeth, the pajama-clad bus driver implores readers not to let his feathered friend stay up late. Youngsters are thrust into the role of caregiver as the puerile pigeon attempts to talk his way out of the inevitable, coming up with requests that range from manipulative ("I hear there's a good show about birds on TV tonight. Should be very educational") to cajoling ("Y'know, we never get to talk anymore. Tell me about your day-") to classic ("Can I have a glass of water?"). Meanwhile, the fowl fights yawns and tries to keep his wide eye open, despite a drooping lid. Defying drowsiness to the last, he finally falls asleep, clutching his stuffed bunny tightly under his wing. Set against comfortably faded pastel backgrounds, the cartoon artwork focuses tightly on the main character, with his comments presented in dialogue balloons. The black-crayon lines speak volumes, as the pigeon's body language and the positioning of his ever-expressive eye humorously convey each nuance of the text. Children will be charmed by this bedtime treat, which will have them laughing out loud at the pigeon-and at themselves.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

In look and premise, this follows previous books about that persnickety pigeon whose actions resemble those of young children. Kids are invited to make sure that the pigeon doesn't stay up late. But the pigeon has his own ideas on the matter: First of all, I'm not even tired, he proclaims. On each successive page, a balloon of text comes up with ever more reasons why the pigeon shouldn't be coerced into bed (I hear there's a good show about birds on TV tonight. Should be very educational). Then come the familiar questions: Can I have a glass of water? At one point he drags out his stuffed rabbit (looking suspiciously like Knuffle Bunny), who, the pigeon insists, wants to stay up. But then a yawn overtakes the bird, even though he insists he is just stretching--and, well, you know the rest. Fans of the pigeon will welcome him back and wait with anticipation to see what he can't do next.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

In this third book about the pigeon, young readers are charged with the responsibility of making sure the groggy-looking bird doesn't stay up late. Willems uses the earlier books' expressive black line drawings with a subdued nighttime palette. Story-hour audiences will recognize some of their own bedtime behavior but will greatly enjoy acting the grownup in this comically endearing read-aloud.

Kirkus Reviews

The pigeon with Attitude is back, trying every persuasive trick in his arsenal to convince readers to let him stay up late. <p>The pigeon with Attitude is back, trying every persuasive trick in his arsenal to convince readers to let him stay up late. After his 2004 outing with the hot dog, the presentation reverts to the original direct-address format, the pajama-clad bus driver asking readers to take care of things while he brushes his teeth. The pigeon ("First of all, I'm not even tired!") alternates bombast with plaintiveness as the page backgrounds change from the familiar dusty pink to a deep, restful blue. The inevitable end is never in doubt, as our persistent hero fights off yawn after colossal yawn, increasingly bleary-eyed despite his determination to stay up late. Readers will easily recognize themselves in the pigeon, even as they will delight in sending him to bed--the fact that he sleeps with a stuffed knuffle bunny will add to the intertextual fun. If this offering necessarily lacks the freshness of the original, its wholehearted sense of fun more than makes up for any hint of formula. Sure to provide excuses to stay up late ("C'mon! What's five minutes in the grand scheme of things?") to countless giggling kids. <i>(Picture book. 3-6)</p>

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Double agent that he is, Willems reveals proven bedtime-delaying strategies to children and child-wranglers alike. As in his <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, a fatherly figure cheerfully delivers the title instructions and tiptoes offstage, leaving readers to ponder their baby-sitting assignment. The tantrum-prone Pigeon then marches into the otherwise empty frame, announcing, "First of all, I'm not even tired!" He's in the mood for an all-you-can-eat "hot dog party"—referencing <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!—and, in another droll product placement, enlists a greenish Knuffle Bunny doll as a tool for persuasion ("My bunny wants to stay up, too!"). From the get-go, the feathered hero is punchy, with heavy gray eyelids, but soon charcoaly half-circles appear under his eyes, and he is overcome by a gargantuan yawning fit that fills an entire spread ("OK, that was <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">not a yawn! I was stretching"). Willems uses voice bubbles and emphatic lettering to suggest the Pigeon's tone of voice, and his solid-color backgrounds progressively dim from soft pink to lavender to a relaxing gray-blue and warm violet, enhancing the growing sense of drowsiness. At last, the hyperactive Pigeon succumbs to slumber, but sleep-resistant and savvy readers will likely plead to read this again. Ages 2-6. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Apr.)