Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
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Today is National Hot Dog Day, and July is National Hot Dog Month. So it seems a good time to focus on hot dogs, one of America’s favorite and “most patriotic” foods according to promoters.
Although the book of the day seems like a natural for publication, Mo Willems’s first book about the pigeon, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, was rejected again and again. Fortunately, he had an agent who believed in him, Marcia Wernick of Wernick & Pratt Agency. She thought he had all the right stuff to be “a hot dog” in the children’s book world. Finally, she found a new editor, hunting for projects, who was willing to take a chance on this funny and offbeat story.
Once Mo Willems got published, wild enthusiasm for his books took over. Some of his titles such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knuffle Bunny, and the book of the day, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! seem destined to sit along side Dr. Seuss on the picture book classics shelf.
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! opens with endpapers depicting multiple hot dogs in a style reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans. A pigeon and a duckling spy a hot dog, but pigeon picks it up first, ready to chomp into his discovery. “Is that a hot dog?” whispers the ducking. And so the two battle each other for the treat—“Each morsel is a joy! A celebration in a bun!” shouts Pigeon. As Pigeon struggles with his conscience, he gets louder and louder, but the duck remains softly persistent. In the end, they both discover the joy of sharing.
Mo Willems brings his years of television animation work to developing a clear story and dynamic action from page to page for young readers ages two through six. He utilizes all parts of this fabulously funny book to extend the story. On the back cover Pigeon holds up his reviews for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and comments on them—“Can those guys at The Horn Book review or what?”
Certainly, reading the book of the day will make everyone want to celebrate National Hot Dog Day. I, myself, am off to get one right now!
Here’s a page from The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!:
Also recommended:
- All the Pigeon books by Mo Willems
- Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog by Adrienne Sylver, illustrated by Elwood Smith
Additional Information
A few other events for
- Happy birthday Margaree King Mitchell (Uncle Jed’s Barbershop), Robert Quackenbush (Henry’s Awful Mistake), and Patricia Coombs (Dorrie and the Haunted Schoolhouse).
- In 1881 the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique is founded, the worlds oldest international sports federation. More than a hundred years later, in 1996, the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team, know as “The Magnificent Seven” wins team gold for the first time ever. Read The Greatest Gymnast Of All by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by Cynthia Jabar.
- On this day in 1914 Austria and Hungary issue an ultimatum to Serbia after assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, sowing the seeds of World War I. Read Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Keith Thompson.
- In 1973, President Richard Nixon refuses to release tapes of White House conversations relevant to the Watergate investigation. Read So You Want To Be President? by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small.