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The Pigeon Comes to *Your City Here*: A Mo Willems Exhibit

Visitors are invited into the imagination, whimsy, and humor of Mo Willems. Many familiar characters are featured, including best friend duo Elephant and Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny, and The Pigeon, the wily city bird best known for his antics in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Activities give children the opportunity to make art inspired by Willems and to learn about the rich social and emotional lives of his characters.

Co-organized by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts 

Upcoming Schedule

May 27, 2023 – September 3, 2023
C’mon Children’s Museum of Naples, Naples, FL

September 16, 2023 – January 14, 2024
Phoenix Children’s Museum, Phoenix, AZ

January 27, 2024 – May 12, 2024
Children’s Museum of Virginia, Portsmouth, VA

May 25, 2024 – January 5, 2025
ECHO Burlington, VT

January 18, 2025 – May 11, 2025
Available

May 24, 2025 – September 7, 2025
Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga, TN

September 20, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA

Borrow Exhibition
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Photo © Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. 
Gallery Views
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Hot Dog Launcher: The Pigeon and Duckling both want your hot dog. Who should get it? Line up the launcher, take aim, and THWACK!—try to hit your favorite character. You can make it even more challenging by cranking a wheel to move the targets back and forth.
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Cookie Plinko: In this game of patience and coordination, pull carefully on the two handles to steer your precious cookie past the holes to give the Duckling a cookie— or send the cookie down the ramp to The Pigeon.
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Flip Book Movies: With these amazing flip boxes, you can turn a crank to make The Pigeon flap his wings. Faster! Faster! What emotions does he express? What does his body language tell you?
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Praxinoscope: As you will see in this early form of animation, Elephant Gerald & Piggie love to dance. Just spin the table top and look in the mirrors: the rapid succession of images creates the illusion of motion. Switch out the dance cards to animate Knuffle Bunny or mix and match your favorite characters.
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Elephones: We all know how much Elephant Gerald and Piggie love to talk to each other. With this magical phone booth, you can transform your voice into Gerald’s—or Piggie’s—for a hilarious conversation! Lift the receiver and say anything you want. You will sound just like Gerald (shy and bashful) or just like Piggie (happy and excited).
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Wearable Bus: Welcome to the Bus Depot! Strap on a bus and drive through the exhibit, pulling up to all the bus stops along the way. There’s even a big bus for grownups!
installation image showing kids in Pigeon bus.
Step inside a life-size version of the bus from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and dig into your favorite Mo Willems book. Sitting in the driver’s seat makes for a perfect photo op!
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Thank-O-Rama: In The Thank You Book, Piggie wants to thank everyone. But Elephant Gerald is worried Piggie will forget someone … someone important. Spin the Thank-O-Rama wheel to find out whom you could thank. Then, write a thank you note and add it to the wall. Do it again and again. Now you are a thanking machine!
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Where’s Knuffle Bunny? Trixie and Daddy know Knuffle Bunny must be somewhere in the Laundromat, but where? You can help by turning the wheels of the washing machines and uncovering Knuffle Bunny and other funny surprises.
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Monster Blocks: Leonardo is truly a terrible monster—terrible at being a monster, that is. Can you build a better monster? Stack the blocks to create a monster or a funny new friend.
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
Naked Mole Rat Fashion Show: Wilbur loves to dress up! Choose a fabulous outfit for him and his Naked Mole Rat pals, then crank the handle to set the conveyor belt in motion. Now they’re heading down the runway!
Installation image showing Pigeon-themed interactives.
The Art Studio: Learn to draw just like Mo Willems. In this flexible Art Studio, you can sketch his characters—or make up your own—at large drawing tables. Light tables let you practice tracing your favorite characters. Simple shapes can be assembled to create such expressive characters! Add color and take home your artwork or add it to the display.
Illustration of the Pigeon screaming NOOOO!
Mo’s Art Gallery: Want to learn more about how Mo Willems creates his books? This special exhibition of 20 framed reproductions of his drawings and sketches illuminates the evolution of his most popular characters.

Featured Artists

Headshot of artist and author Mo Willems.

Mo Willems

Mo Willems is one of the most celebrated children’s book authors and artists working today.

Artist website