It's been 23 long years and maybe this time, that stupid pigeon will FINALLY be able to drive that bus. Nickelodeon and Paramount+ have greenlit two new Nick Jr. preschool series based on the works of legendary children's books author Mo Willems. The kids TV giant has given the greenlight to The Don't Let the Pigeon Show! Starring The Pigeon! and The Elephant Gerald & Piggie: We Are In A TV Show! which are currently in development.
In The Pigeon Show! Starring The Pigeon! (Season 1, 30 half-hour episodes), we follow the continuing tragic saga of Willems' humble beginnings as a children's book author as we follow the Pigeon who keeps getting restricted by the Bus Driver (voiced by children's literature alumni Jon Sciezka) who restricts him of doing anything and everything that relates to young children's perspectives. All this fourth wall breaking meta bird wanted was to be listened to. He will be your best friend forever if you have a bus and you let him drive it! The new cartoon will feature familliar faces from Mo's books including the Pigeon's arch nemesis neighbor, The Duckling who seems to always gets what she wants just by asking, as we've learned in the 2012 Pigeon book series entry The Duckling Gets A Cookie!?, along with introducing new characters to the Mo Willems universe, which includes his 150 MILLION years old prehistoric grandma, Nana-Dactyl the Pteyradactal and his siblings Ima Pigeon and Doug Pigeon.
Then, in the The Elephant Gerald & Piggie Show! (Season 1, 26 half-hour episodes), we follow the adventures of Elephant Gerald and Piggie, one of Willems' inseperable duos, winners of two Dr. Seuss Geisel Honors and five Seuss Geisel Medals as they frollic around in there newly located hometown neighborhood of Willemsville, named after the author and creator himself. These characters follow the same adventures to the television screen off the book pages by communicating through thought bubbles where each word is highlighted so young children can learn how to read.
Willems himself is no stranger to making preschool programs as he was originally a television animator before he became the author we all know and love today. Willems originally worked at the teams of Sesame Street from 1993-1999 during the show's 24th-31st seasons, where he won six Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for his work on the show. His only other preschool series credit was being one of the script writers on the 2004 children's TV show meme LazyTown starring the late Stefan Karl Stefansson.
His other animation credits includes the Cartoon Network series Sheep in the Big City and Mr. Tom Warburton's Codename: Kids Next Door and Nickelodeon works like The Off-Beats shorts for KaBlam! and the intro for SNICK feature Short Films by Short People as well as the Rhino ident. His most recent work for toddlers came as early as 2007 when he started adapting his iconic books into the animated shorts for Scholastic and Weston Woods Studios Inc. featuring Willems himself as the narrator and voice of his characters, with direction from his animator/illustrator, Pete List.
Recently, he's been attempting to go back to his animation roots with a CGI animated movie based on his Broadway production Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Opera Experience and two upcoming Cartoon Network shows based on his other famous children's books series Cat the Cat's Show with YOU! and Unlimited Squirrels for Cartoonito and HBO Max which still hasn't been released yeet.
The new deal with Mo Willems and his Hidden PIgeon Presents Company is one of the newest additions to Nickelodeon's roster of kids shows based on best selling books along with the recently successful Big Nate and Superhero Bunny League already released with HexVet set to join the party in the new year. Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. are also in talks with fellow Noggin collaborator LionForge Animation to make TV show adaptations of Bob Marley and the Family Band, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (which has recently been revived with a new team of authors and illustrator with a new collection of holiday-themed installments) and Dragon Booster.
As of right now, it is currently unknown when Nickelodeon's six new children's show adaptations based on children's picture books and graphic novels, including the two recently greenlit Mo Willems Nicktoons will be premiering, though all six of these upcoming shows should be out and available for the viewing pleasure and nostalgia bait by the 2027-2028 programming season.
For more information on these and other upcoming projects,
Visit Mo Willems online at www.PigeonPresents.com
Mo Willems is owned by Hyperion Books for Children,
a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company
Copyright ©MMIII Disney Enterprises Inc.
Copyright ©2009 Weston Woods Studios Inc.
Copyright ©2026 Paramount Skydance Corporation Inc.
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