Pigeon for a day

by Angela Reynolds

A few weeks ago, my boss asked if I would walk along with the Bookmobile in the local parade, and hand out some bookmarks about upcoming programs. Having walked in parades before, I knew firsthand that a plain-old librarian walking along, unless she has some pretty good swag to throw, is not very exciting.  (Note to parade newbies–Mardi Gras beads are a huge hit in parades everywhere, not just in New Orleans.) Handing out bookmarks is fun, but when you are dressed up, it is even more fun. The Bookmobile driver & I were chatting at lunch about our upcoming Mo Willems day, and suddenly, the idea hit us–we needed a Pigeon to walk in front of the bus, which is what we all call our Bookmobile (it being a converted school bus).  After a quick web search to see the costumes that others had made, an idea was hatched. Several hours of creative design, a can of paint, and 5 pieces of poster board later, I had a Pigeon costume.  One might not think that someone with a Master’s degree would end up walking in a parade in a paint-covered hoodie with a cardboard bird body attached, but this, my friends, is the true calling of many a librarian. To hear a crowd of young parade watchers yell out “Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!”  is a joy indeed. Even adults, who probably have never read a Mo Willems book enjoyed the costume. Several wanted to help the pigeon get permission to drive.  Hopefully, those bookmarks will make as much an impression as the pigeon did. And no, I never did get to drive the bus. Darn it!

PS– Want to see a picture? Click here!