It's probably the funniest children's book ever written. Everything you need to know is established by a drawing opposite the title page. "Hi! I'm the bus driver," says a smiling man in a cap. "Listen, I've got to leave for a little while, so can you watch things for me until I get back?
Thanks. Oh, and remember...Don't let the pigeon drive the bus."
The next page shows the bus driver walking away, smiling confidently, while the pigeon's head appears on the corner of the opposite page. "I thought he'd never leave," the pigeon says, wandering into the next two-page spread. There's a drawing where the pigeon simply stands quietly, presumably looking at the reader, until he casually asks a question on the next page.
"Hey, can I drive the bus?"
The book's inside cover shows this pigeon deep in thought, already imagining himself behind the bus's wheel in a series of funny drawings - leaning forward, holding a wing out the window, even wearing the bus driver's cap. Both the illustrations and the text were created by Mo Willems, a Sesame Street
writer. And according to his Wikipedia page, it's the first in a series of books, which also includes "Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!"
Every page is funny in this book, with pleading dialogue appearing in bubbles over Willems' simply drawings of the blue pigeon. "Please?" the pigeon begs. "I'll be careful. I'll tell you what: I'll just steer... No? I never get to do anything... Hey, I've got an idea. Let's play 'Drive the Bus'! I'll go first!" The pigeon scampers off the page - then reappears on the next one. "C'mon!" he whines to the skeptical reader. "Just once around the block!"
The fun never ends, with the pigeon appearing on each page, trying line after line to con you into fulfilling his dream. Towards the end of the book, there's a page with eight separate drawings of the pigeon - showing his persistence and his never-ending eagerness. ("I'll be your best friend! How 'bout I give you five bucks? What's the big deal?! It's just a bus!")
The book's layout is surprisingly creative, with black crayon marks appearing over the pigeon's head when he finally realizes he's not going to get to drive after all. It's a cathartic scene, especially for young children who hear "no" all the time. But at the end of the book, the friendly bus driver finally re-appears with a big smile on his face.
"I'm back! You didn't let the pigeon drive the bus, did you? Great! Thanks a lot!" But the book's real punch line appears on the inside back cover. After the bus leaves, an enormous red truck passes by.
And now the pigeon is imagining himself driving a truck instead.