Books like The Pigeon Needs a Bath!
By Mo Willems
For the kid who negotiates bedtime, vegetables, and every single bath like it's a courtroom trial, the Pigeon is a kindred spirit. Funny, exasperated, stubborn, and full of direct-address arguing with the reader.
A boy and his pet fly play hide-and-seek, but when Fly Guy hides in the garbage can, the garbage truck hauls him off to the dump — where zillions of flies look just like him.
A drowsy dog just wants a quiet nap, but a bouncy little duckling named Zachary Quack keeps trailing after him, pittery-pattering and pestering him to play.
A boy sets off to buy simple things like a carrot, a hat, and a cake, but every shop hands him the wrong item entirely — a growing parade of mixed-up animals instead.
A boy named Spencer has so many toys that his parents keep tripping over them, so his mother insists he give some away — a task he finds nearly impossible.
A young dinosaur catches the flu and has to visit the doctor, at first acting cranky and scared before learning that juice, rest, and following the doctor's advice are the way to feel better.
A young penguin catalogs every gripe about life on the ice — the cold, the crowds, the predators — until a wise old walrus offers a little perspective on complaining.
An elderly man sets out to paint his porch pink with his cat Tabby by his side, but a scampering squirrel and his neighbor's dog Zeke turn the simple chore into chaos.
A persistent pigeon really, really, REALLY wants a puppy and begs the reader directly, promising to take great care of it — but only the reader can decide if he's actually ready.
A boy named Thomas decides his new snowsuit is the ugliest thing he's ever seen, and refuses to put it on — no matter who asks, or how hard they try.
Two rabbits meet in Fibonacci's Field and start a family that multiplies faster than they can handle, forcing them to face a new seasonal challenge every month for a year.
A scene-stealing cat named Chester hijacks his own picture book, swiping the author's supplies and insisting he can write a better story than she can — with mixed results.
A boy named Floyd gets his kite stuck in a tree and tries to knock it loose by throwing his shoe — but the shoe gets stuck too, so he keeps throwing bigger and stranger things instead.
