By Melinda Miller

In the playbill from Theatre of Youth’s new show “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!,” there’s a word search challenge, a bus to color, images of kids around the world using non-bus transport like ladders, boats and even a zip line, and an emoji-based matching game to explore pigeon-inspired emotions.

The program also has some “reflection questions,” which provide a nice taking off point for a quick review of this bright elementary school-aimed musical. So, here we go: 

1. What was your favorite part of the play and why did you like it? My favorite thing about this fast-paced production was how faithful it is to the gentle, honest spirit of Mo Willems’ wonderful children’s books, even though it adds several characters. The stage design (by Donnie Woodard) is beautifully inspired by the book; it’s shaped like a gigantic cartoon conversation balloon and framed with hidden doors (pigeonholes?) that puppets and players pop through from time to time. The kids in the audience I was with went nuts for those moments.

• How did the play make you feel? Were you happy, excited or surprised at any point? Yes, yes and yes! The cast’s puppetry, coordinated by Michele Costa, was very nicely executed, bringing the pigeon, ducklings and even a rambunctious puppy to vivid life. The upbeat music had kids bouncing in their seats and the pigeon’s sad, bus-based ballad created a sweet moment of understanding.

• Could you think of a word to describe the play as a whole? How would you describe it to your friends? I would use the word “colorful” to describe the play, and I would apply that to the look (the set and costumes by Brenna Pranther), the music (directed by Stephen Shapiro with songs like “Bus Driver” and “Keep Flappin’”), and the performances. All were vivid and vibrant. 

Conley Egnor puppets the pigeon with panache, and the vivacious Timiyah Love is the kind of bus-driving bus driver any bird would dream of being. With Kira Whitehead, Preston Williams, Robyn Baun and Julianna Tracey each playing several characters – plus making the bus move, being puppeteers and producing sound effects — the young audience gets a fulsome experience of how imagination and theater go together to make something that is fun and really real. Grace Aroune as director has made it all look easy and natural. 

Going back to question No. 1, maybe what I like best about “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” is how it lets us know what matters. Even if the bus breaks down and the puppy knocks us over and we’re late for work and, no matter how much we beg and cry, we aren’t going to get to drive the bus, there are still lots of other things to wish for. And sooner or later, one of those wishes is bound to come true.

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              “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!” has two more public shows, Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, at 2 p.m. in the Allendale Theater, 203 Allen St. Tickets are $20-$25 at theatreofyouth.org. Recommended for ages 4 to 9, but siblings on either side of that range would probably like it, too. 

Coming up: Theatre of Youth has announced its 2025-26 season with a series of plays that all happen to be inspired by popular children’s books. After hosting Curtain Up! For Kids! on Sunday, Sept. 21, TOY begins its season in December with “Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas” followed by “Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the Musical” in February/March and “Corduroy” in the spring. Find out more at the theater’s website.