Pigeon Tactic 1: Can I drive the bus?
Max: yeah!
Me: No honey, you are suppose to tell the pigeon no.
I demonstrate by pointing at the page and emphatically declaring NO!
Pigeon Tactic 2: Pleeease....I really want to...Max: Ohhkay.
Again I point and say "NO!"
And so things go, with the pigeon trying tactic after tactic and Max giving in on each one. Each time I reiterate that the "correct" answer is no. Finally, the pigeon slumps in defeat.
Max looks concerned. "Pigeon sad," he declares. The bus driver returns, thanks Max for protecting his bus and drives off while the pigeon stares wistfully after him. Max looks very distressed. "Pigeon drive bus?" he asks.
Gus: I'm not sure about the lesson this is teaching.....
I suppose this is one of those difficult crossroads we all reach in our lives where we decide between enforcing the rules and making people (or pigeons) happy. I guess we know which side of the debate Max is on, but then...why shouldn't he empathize with the pigeon? Nobody ever lets him drive the bus either.
You should write a sequel where the pigeon finally sticks it to "The Man" and has his way with buses, hotdogs and whatever else society would deny him.
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud while I read this post.
ReplyDeleteWell...Gus and I are in favor of sticking it to "The Man" on principle. I suppose it is appropriate that are child is already siding with the underdog.
ReplyDeleteI think what's needed here is a sequel in which the Pigeon Drives the Bus and since he is not properly qualified and doesn't have opposable thumbs he kills lots of children and we follow them through the grieving process and come to understand that these rules exist for a reason.
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps a series... "Don't let the drunk guy drive the car" followed by "Don't let the guy talking on his cell phone drive the car" followed by "Don't let the texting guy drive the car" followed by a more general "HEY DUMB ASSES!! DRIVING IS HARD AND DANGEROUS. PAY ATTENTION!!"
How come nobody lets me write children's books?
You ought to read Pigeon guys other book...."go the f**k to sleep". Seems like it is more your style.
ReplyDeleteSorry...correction - pigeon guy didn't write that book. I guess he sticks to g-rated books in which pigeon's don't kill young children...
ReplyDeleteI sat with both Leora and Anwyn last month and had a lovely family reading of Go the F**k to Sleep at bedtime. Every time the man implored his darling angel to sleep, my well adjusted children shouted a resounding "NO!"
ReplyDeleteLiz and Greta, just in case, I provided a link to the book in question. You will have to be logged into your Google account to view it.
Thanks Mike. Looks like your teenagers have out done my 2 year old yet again ;)
ReplyDelete