Mo Willems’ beloved children’s book characters Elephant and Piggie are getting their own show on Paramount+, and so is that pesky Pigeon.
The Elephant & Piggie Show! and The Pigeon Show! Starring the Pigeon were officially greenlit Thursday by the Paramount Skydance core streaming service.
The Elephant & Piggie Show! will target a pre-K audience, and is set in the small, walkable neighborhood of Willemsburg. If you don’t know the books, Elephant (Gerald) is careful and his best friend Piggie is not. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to and together, they “celebrate the messy and joyful art of friendship,” per t…
Mo Willems’ beloved children’s book characters Elephant and Piggie are getting their own show on Paramount+, and so is that pesky Pigeon.
The Elephant & Piggie Show! and The Pigeon Show! Starring the Pigeon were officially greenlit Thursday by the Paramount Skydance core streaming service.
The Elephant & Piggie Show! will target a pre-K audience, and is set in the small, walkable neighborhood of Willemsburg. If you don’t know the books, Elephant (Gerald) is careful and his best friend Piggie is not. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to and together, they “celebrate the messy and joyful art of friendship,” per the press release (and per any parent who has read the delightful books).
Where to start on The Pigeon…
The Pigeon Show! Starring the Pigeon is about the day-to-day struggles of a pigeon who just wants to be listened to — and, on occasion, drive a bus. The streaming series will include Willems’ adorable Duckling as well as new characters, like The Pigeon’s 150-million-year-old pterodactyl grandmother, Nana-Dactyl, and his own BFFs, Ima Pigeon and Doug Pigeon.
“Mo Willems has delighted kids and ‘former kids’ around the world with these beloved characters,” said Jane Wiseman, head of originals for Paramount+. “Whether it’s Elephant and Piggie navigating the hard work of ‘best-friending’ or The Pigeon confusing wants and needs (a hot dog! a cookie! to drive the bus!), these characters remind us that the best stories are the ones that make us laugh and feel something real. We’re thrilled to bring them to life on Paramount+.”
Willems’ banner is named the Hidden Pigeon Company, which sort of underscores the importance of the pigeon in the Elephant & Piggie books and beyond.
“We are so excited to be partnering with Paramount+ to further expand the world of Mo Willems through these two new series,” said Karen K. Miller, CEO of Hidden Pigeon Company. “We can’t wait to present more of the characters and stories that kids everywhere already know and love in ways that will surprise and delight them at every turn.”
Willems has been awarded a Caldecott Honor three times: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. His Elephant & Piggie early reader series has been awarded two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals (*There Is a Bird on Your Head! *and Are You Ready to Play Outside?) and five Geisel Honors (We Are in a Book!, I Broke My Trunk!, Let’s Go for a Drive!, A Big Guy Took My Ball! and Waiting Is Not Easy!).
Willems began his writing career at Sesame Street, for which he won six Emmy Awards.