Interest Level:
Pre-K-2
Lexile Framework:
120L
Grade Level Equivalent:
1
Guided Reading Level:
J
Age:
2-7
Genre:
Comedy and Humor
Subject:
Cleverness, Creativity and Imagination, Transportation
The bus driver has to leave for a while, and he makes one request of readers: "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus." It's the height of common sense, but the driver clearly knows this determined pigeon and readers do not — yet.
"Hey, can I drive the bus?" asks the bird, at first all sweet reason, and then, having clearly been told no by readers, 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!!!" in huge, scratchy, black-and-yellow capital letters. The driver returns, and the pigeon leaves in a funk — until he spies a huge tractor trailer, and dares to dream again.






