Pigeon Storytime! Featuring the one and only bird from the Mo Willems books. I have my own personal secret: I hate this bird. The books and Pigeon’s general personality annoy me to no end. But…this ended up being one of my favorite storytimes.
The highlight, of course, was Pigeon’s attempted storytime coup:
Catch a glimpse of the whole experience in the video below.
Learn More About Other Storytime Specials:
– Baby Shark Storytime
– Daniel Tiger Storytime
– Doc McStuffins Storytime
– Elephant & Piggie Storytime
– Fancy Nancy Storytime
– Llama Llama Storytime
– Molly of Denali Storytime
– Noon Year’s Eve Storytime
– Paw Patrol Storytime
– Pete the Cat Storytime
– Pinkalicious Storytime
…and all my virtual storytimes.
This was another very popular program: over 600 virtual attendees!
Just like past virtual storytimes, I curated a PDF packet that we shared with event participants. Many of these materials are from Mo Willems’ Pigeon website, full of great resources. Download the activity packet here.
Watch the short preview video below. This isn’t like many of my other preview videos…instead Pigeon keeps popping up all over the library!
And watch the full storytime here:
The general storytime layout–in order of what I presented–is below, with videos where applicable.
Pigeon Storytime Outline
Intro Song: Shake Your Sillies Out by Rainbow Songs
Pigeon Book: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Music: Wheels on the Bus by Jay Laga’aia
Action Song: If You’re a Pigeon and You Know It
If you’re a pigeon and you know it, flap your wings!
If you’re a pigeon and you know it, flap your wings!
If you’re a pigeon and you know it,
And you really want to show it!
If you’re a pigeon and you know it, flap your wings!
Shake your tail (shake, shake)
Eat your cookies (nom, nom)
Drive the bus (zoom, zoom)
Pigeon Takeover
After If You’re a Pigeon and You Know It, I realized–oops!–I forgot our second book! I needed to step out to get it, and while I did just that, I put on some music and needed everyone watching to keep an eye on storytime. Sure enough, Pigeon attempted a takeover!
I didn’t actually leave the room–instead I had a table on wheels to the side of the screen. When I stepped off screen, I opened and closed the door to the room before wheeling the table on screen. I tested the height ahead of time to make sure Pigeon was visible but the table wasn’t.
I had the signs piled and ready on a table off screen. The sticks were attached from the top because it is much easier to drop something from above onto the screen then for me to try to lay below the camera and get up again. If I did this again, I might try to have this situated somehow so the signs were resting on the table, and I removed one at a time. My hand was shaking quite a bit during this portion (so the signs were too).
I ran through the timing of the song and the signs beforehand and made sure I had just enough signs to last the length of the song. I came back at the end of the song with another opening and closing of the door and a loud “PIGEON!” before returning on camera to “rescue” storytime.
Pigeon Book: The Duckling Gets A Cookie?!
Magnet: Pigeon Playing Hide and Seek
Pigeon, Pigeon playing hide and seek
Are you behind the yummy cookie?
Let’s take a peek!
Closing Song: I Know a PIGEON (Chicken) by Laurie Berkner
We very loudly shouted PIGEON in place of Chicken throughout the song.
Extra, Extra!
I filmed a few extra Pigeon videos that were on YouTube but didn’t make it into storytime:
Two Little Pigeons:
Two little pigeons sittin’ on a hill
One named Jack and one named Jill.
Run away Jack, run away Jill.
Come back Jack, come back Jill.
Two little pigeons sittin’ on a cloud.
One named soft and one named loud.
Run away soft, run away loud.
Come back soft, come back loud.
Two little pigeons sittin’ on down below.
One named fast and one named slow.
Run away fast, run away slow.
Come back fast, come back slow.
Five Little Pigeons Sitting in a Tree:
Five little pigeons sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three four!
And finally, I attempted to write a rhyme to the tune of the Itsy Bitsy Spider, but I didn’t get it quite right. Feel free to edit and make it your own!
The happy little pigeon
Snuck onto the bus route.
Along came the driver
Who chased the pigeon out.
Along came the kids who
Jumped onto the bus.
And the happy little pigeon
Rode along with us.
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Thanks as always for sharing! Took a crack at your pigeon rhyme…
The happy little pigeon (make a beak with thumb and fingers, open and shut)
Snuck onto the bus (walk fingers slowly across in front of body — tiptoe if standing)
On stomped the driver (move arms like marching–stomp if standing)
Who made quite a fuss (hold hands out, surprised face)
Out jumped the kids (raise and wave both hands–jump if standing)
Who called, “He’s here with us” (cup hands to mouth, point to self with thumbs)
And the happy little pigeon (make a beak with thumb and fingers, open and shut)
Began to drive the bus (move hands like holding steering wheel)
Beep! Beep! (honk horn)
Would you let the pigeon drive the bus? (point to kids and take answers)
This is AMAZING! Wow, that is perfect. I’d love to use this the next time I run a Pigeon Storytime (with credit of course!). Thanks for sharing!
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