Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a theatrical production of the Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company, from the United Kingdom. The pigeon has a dream. The friendly bus driver leaves us with one simple instruction: "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus!" However, the Pigeon is very clever and whines, bribes, pleads and even sings a song to get his own way…will you let him drive? Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus! is a lively show full of fun, feathers, laughter, and excitement, and features engaging original music and lots of fun audience participation.

This is a brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life, as anyone who interacts with a stubborn three-year-old can attest. The bus driver has to leave for a while, and his only request is: "Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus." It's the height of common sense, but the driver clearly knows this determined pigeon, and the audience does not -- yet. "Hey, can I drive the bus?" asks the bird, at first all sweet reason, and then, having clearly been told "no" by the audience, he begins his ever-escalating, increasingly silly bargaining. "I tell you what: I'll just steer." And, "I never get to do anything!" Then, "No fair! I bet your mom would let me." In a wonderfully expressive spread, the pigeon finally loses it, and, feathers flying and eyeballs popping, screams, "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!"

The driver returns, and the pigeon leaves in a funk, until he spies a huge tractor trailer, and dares to dream again. Like David Shannon's No, David (Scholastic, 1998), Pigeon is an unflinching and hilarious look at a child's potential for mischief. In the original book, a plain palette, with childishly elemental line drawings, author Mo Willems has captured the essence of unreasonableness in the very young. The genius of this presentation is that the very young audience members will actually recognize themselves in it.

Mo Willems has won six Emmy awards as a writer and animator for Sesame Street and is the creator of The Cartoon Network’s hit show Sheep in the Big City. He was recently awarded the prestigious Caldecott Honor for the book on which this show is based. Mo Willems has also written two follow-up books The Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog! and The Pigeon Loves Things That Go!

This presentation is suitable for ages three and up, and is approximately 60 minutes.