Review by Booklist Review
Everyone's favorite contentious misanthrope is back with a grubby vengeance. Our story begins as a hirsute human in bathrobe and shower cap implores our help: the pigeon needs a bath. The pigeon disagrees and begins his familiar pattern of resisting, stalling, and excusing, but even the flies that surround him can't bear the filth. Eventually, he is forced to submit, and, after 28 little panels (and one medium-size one) in which he fusses over the tub and its myriad inadequacies, he relents and takes the plunge. And surprise, surprise he likes it. TEN HOURS LATER, the pigeon is a convert to baths. The details fans have come to expect are all present, from the simple, expressive drawings on blank grounds (though the customary pastel backdrops have been replaced by a variety of muddy browns and greys) to the before-and-after endpapers, complete with a rubber-ducky Easter egg. Pigeon's many followers will be plenty happy with this latest offering, while parents of reluctant bathers will welcome its surreptitious endorsement.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Somewhere between aspirations of locomotion, pining for a puppy, and scrambling to finish an activity book, the Pigeon got pretty dirty. Don't tell him that, though. In enduring Willems style, the Pigeon invites reader participation through questions, provocations, and wild gesticulations. With Pigeon evidently besmeared with soot, it's a classic case of denial: " 'Clean.' 'Dirty,' " remarks the Pigeon while making air quotes. "They're just words, right?" He then points the finger (or wing) at the accuser: "Maybe you need a bath! YEAH! When was the last time YOU had a bath?! Oh. That was pretty recently." After nervously smelling himself and discovering that even the flies hovering around him can't stand how stinky he is ("Take a bath, dude!" says one in retreat), the Pigeon finally relents. At the edge of the bathtub, though, he goes through his share of Goldilocks moments, which are presented in nearly 30 tiny sequential panels: "The water is too hot. Too cold. Too deep. Not deep enough." The Pigeon's cockeyed defiance and Willems's impeccable comedic timing are as fun and frisky as ever. Ages 3-5. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
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 (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The star of seven previous picture books, beginning with Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (rev. 7/03), the Pigeon needs little introduction...but he does need a bath. He feels differently -- "I took one last month!" -- and, true to form, he's not giving in without a fight. Willems lets the Pigeon plead his case to young listeners, who are probably familiar with the I'm-not-taking-a-bath routine but here will take pleasure in being on the other side. The melodramatic Pigeon cycles through a range of reactions to the situation: rationalization, accusation ("When was the last time YOU had a bath?!"), denial ("What smell?"), and, finally, grudging acquiescence ("If it means soooooooooooooo much to you..."). The crisply designed pages put the focus on the expressively drawn main character and the speech bubble text. The bubbles themselves help convey tone: rounded shapes signal less intense discourse, and sharp, jagged edges make clear the intensity is spiking. When the Pigeon finally concedes defeat, it takes a double-page, twenty-nine-panel progression of excuses -- "The water is too hot. Too cold. Too lukewarm. Too hot. Too wet!" -- to get him into the bath. The final two spreads will resonate with parents who've had to cajole their own dirty birds into the tub, only to have to expend the same energy getting them back out. For kids, though, it's just good, clean fun. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
