Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

Reviews have been positive. In the New York Times Book Review, Bruce Handy called the title pigeon "one of this decade's contributions to the pantheon of great picture book characters". He added, "The Pigeon is whiny, shortsighted, narcissistic, needy, relentless and nakedly manipulative; in short, the Pigeon is a thinly veiled 4-year-old, drawn by Willems with a sure, simple line and a keen sense, as the pages turn, of comic timing."[4] Kirkus Reviews found "If this offering necessarily lacks the freshness of the original, its wholehearted sense of fun more than makes up for any hint of formula."[5] and Publishers Weekly wrote that "Willems uses voice bubbles and emphatic lettering to suggest the Pigeon's tone of voice, and his solid-color backgrounds progressively dim from soft pink to lavender to a relaxing gray-blue and warm violet, enhancing the growing sense of drowsiness. At last, the hyperactive Pigeon succumbs to slumber, but sleep-resistant and savvy readers will likely plead to read this again."[6]