Which stories are in Mo Willems Storytime Shorts!?

Fifteen: The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!, Duckling Gets a Cookie!?, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, Knuffle Bunny Too, Knuffle Bunny Free, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, Nanette's Baguette, Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, That Is NOT a Good Idea! and Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator!

Where can we watch Mo Willems Storytime Shorts!?

The collection premiered on HBO Max on September 17, 2020. It has moved in and out of streaming since, so check Max first. The Hidden Pigeon Channel on YouTube, run by Willems' company, posts animated Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie stories and read-alouds.

Are the shorts different from the books?

Barely. Willems produced and voiced them, and they follow the books closely, with music, sound effects and small animated surprises added. A kid who knows the book will recognize every page.

Mo Willems Storytime Shorts! – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Mo Willems Storytime Shorts!

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2020Animation, Kids

94%

WISE Score

Mo Willems animated and voiced fifteen of his own picture books, from the Pigeon to Knuffle Bunny, and they are as good on screen as on the page.

Mo Willems Storytime Shorts!

show

TV-Y, 2020, Animation, Kids

94%

WISE Score

Mo Willems animated and voiced fifteen of his own picture books, from the Pigeon to Knuffle Bunny, and they are as good on screen as on the page.

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Screenwise Verdict

These are the Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, Leonardo the Terrible Monster and a dozen more Mo Willems books, animated by the author and voiced by Willems, his family and his friends. Each runs about 6 to 12 minutes, and each sticks close to the book: same drawings, same jokes, same timing.

For kids 2 to 7 it is about as good as screen time gets. There is nothing scary, the pace is calm, and the stories are about real little-kid problems. The best way to use them is alongside the books: watch Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, then pull the book off the shelf and let your kid do the Pigeon's voice.

The one hassle is finding them. HBO Max collected all fifteen in 2020, and the set has moved around since, so check Max before promising a showing.

Age Fit

Rated TV-Y; Common Sense Media says 3 and up. The sweet spot is 2 to 7. Toddlers love the Pigeon and the yelling-at-the-screen gag; early readers get a kick out of knowing the book by heart and reading along.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Every short is about a small, real kid problem: wanting a cookie, not wanting bed, losing a beloved toy, the first day of school. Characters get it wrong, feel it, and come through, with warm families and friends around them.

Imaginative

Willems animated and voiced these himself with his family, and they keep the books' bold, simple drawings and comic timing. The Pigeon talking straight to the viewer invites kids to answer back.

Safe

Rated TV-Y, and Common Sense Media found no violence, scariness, language or mature content. The worst thing that happens is a lost stuffed bunny.

Enriching

Faithful to award-winning picture books, so the shorts send kids back to the books. They model naming feelings, saying no, and recovering from disappointment, and they play well as a read-along with the book open.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Willems made these himself, so they keep the books' look, humor and rhythm instead of padding them out
The Pigeon talks straight to the viewer, and kids yell "No!" back at the screen, which is the joke
Calm pace and short runtimes, a gentle fit for toddlers and preschoolers
Every short sends kids back to a book they can read next

⚠

What to Watch For

Trixie losing Knuffle Bunny is a big moment for a toddler; it ends well, but some kids need a hug at the laundromat scene
Kids may borrow the Pigeon's begging routine at bedtime; the books are a good way to laugh about it together
Availability shifts: the collection premiered on HBO Max in 2020 and is not always on a streaming service

Conversation Starters

"Should we let the Pigeon drive the bus? What would happen if we did?"
"Trixie could not say what was wrong. How did she show her daddy instead?"
"What would you do if you found a hot dog and a duckling wanted a bite?"
"Leonardo is a terrible monster because he cannot scare anyone. What are you terrible at that is secretly OK?"

Deep Dive

The author animated his own books

Mo Willems started out as an animator and writer on Sesame Street before his picture books took off. Over the years he produced 15 animated shorts of his own books, from Knuffle Bunny in 2006 to The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! in 2019, with Weston Woods, voicing them with his family and friends. In September 2020, while he was HBO Max's artist in residence, the streamer collected all fifteen as Mo Willems Storytime Shorts!

The Pigeon sits at a school desk between two classmates in The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!, the newest of the fifteen shorts.

They look and sound like the books

The drawings are the books' drawings, moving. The Pigeon still turns to the camera to plead his case, and kids still shout back. Each short runs about 6 to 12 minutes, with music and sound effects added and the pacing kept calm.

The Pigeon glares at the Duckling, who holds a big chocolate-chip cookie Duckling Gets a Cookie!? The Pigeon is not happy about it.

Watch one, then read it

These work best as a doorway to the books. Pair the bus short with Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and the rest of the Pigeon series, and let your kid read the Pigeon's lines. The Mo Willems guide covers the books, Elephant & Piggie and the rest of his work.

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