The Pigeon Needs a Bath!
K-Gr 2—Persuasive Pigeon is back. He doesn't feel that he really needs a bath—after all, it's a "matter of opinion." "Clean" and "dirty" are "just words, right?" With a polished technique that logically approaches the problem, Pigeon speaks with a child's voice as he rationalizes his decision while forcefully questioning those who might even suggest that his personal hygiene and the flies buzzing around are not just "coincidental." The water might be "too hot…not deep enough…too cold…or too wet," but it only takes a mere 30 tiny frames and a dramatic large-font spread before Pigeon grandly displays the myriad possibilities for a happy bird in the bath. Willems's dirt-smudged pigeon is at once clever, garrulous, energetic, and just slightly excitable. Through simple flat-line illustrations, this bird's expressions and attitude are easy to discern. Pigeon fans will not want to miss this book, a "must add" to all libraries, for any reader appreciating the perfect art of persuasion.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX