Don't Let the Penguin Drive the Batmobile

Mad Presents: A 100% Unauthorized Parody

by Jacob Lambert, Tom Richmond (Illustrator)

MAD Magazine knows there are more important vehicles to protect in this 100% unauthorized parody of the classic children's book!

While Batman is busy fighting crime on the mean streets of Gotham, it's up to us to keep an eye on the Batmobile. The only problem? The Penguin really, REALLY wants to drive it! Should we let him?

In this all-new story, the Usual Gang of Idiots at MAD Magazine parody another classic, best-selling children's book, featuring the heroes and villains from the world of DC Comics' Batman!

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Graphic Novels, Childrens, Dc Comics, Fiction, Adult

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[⠀annie. ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

my library just got this on our streaming service omg 😂

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Penguin can be just as persistent -- and nearly as amusing -- as Mo Willems' Pigeon when it comes to getting his turn to drive. A fun parody of very funny source material.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good send up of Mo Willems' brilliant Pigeon series. The artwork and dialogue were spot on.

[summer (oscar wilde’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

the penguin is my best friend in all of gotham and i would absolutely let him drive the batmobile

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

So so silly. I was reading it out loud at the circ desk (to my clerk whether she wanted to hear it or not) when one of the 7th graders reading in the library was drawn to the desk like a moth to a flame. He very intensely wanted this book. So of course I let him check it out. When I was done. I’m not a martyr. So yes, this silly silly book is not just for 3rd grade babies, 12 year olds will want, nay demand, it too.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, but I imagine that this is a pretty faithful parody. It was pretty funny. Would recommend for Batman fans to read to their littles.

[Pop Bop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better As A Standalone Than As A Parody

It seems to me that for a parody to be really worthwhile the object or person or film or, in this case the book, being parodied has to be worth the effort. Here, the parody is aimed at "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus". That was a popular, if slight, running gag sort of book, and I thought it was charming and amusing. But it didn't exactly need to be put in its place.

I guess the real question is whether this book is fun as a standalone. On that score I thought it was fine. The penguin character looks a bit like the old school Penguin, and he behaves the way a young Batman fan would expect him to. His growing nutsiness and the nice ending are well paced and chuckle worthy. The drawing captures the increasingly frantic mood, (and if the parody angle is important, well, the drawing does capture the feel of the original). The final joke is clever.

So, an amusing picture book that mixes things up a bit. That was all fine by me. (Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good fit for fans of Mo Willems books who also like Batman. I'm not a huge fan of parody, as it feels unoriginal to me, but for sure many will enjoy this.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice parody of a children’s book that’s still child friendly.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was SO CUTE! It was PERFECT for this time of year too, what with NYCC happening and all of my co-workers discussing it. Guess who will be getting this book for Christmas, lol! Well, their children will, but it is a cute read for the parents too, especially if they are 1) into comics and 2) have had to read the original version of this to their children umpteen times. Not negging the original, that book is awesome too, but I am sure that if one is familiar with the source material, this one will be all the funnier to the parent reading it.

4 solid, no you CANNOT drive the Batmobile, stars!

My thanks to NetGalley and DC Entertainment/MAD for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mad Magazine continues its assault on "beloved" classic children's books with Don't Let the Penguin Drive the Batmobile. Batman asks the reader to keep an eye on the Batmobile while he is off fighting crime. He specifically ask that Penguin not be allowed to drive it. Penguin then keeps asking in multiple creative ways that he be allowed to drive it, or at least sit in it. When Batman returns and drives off, Penguin's wandering eye spots another means of transportation that he want to try out. A fun mash-up of a read for all ages!

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title.

[Edwina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was pretty darn clever. I did read it before hand to make sure it was kid friendly before sharing it with my students. We were able to talk about parody, I got to do my best Batman voice (which isn't that good), and try out a British accent for Penguin.

The Batman fans enjoyed it. They found all the characters, told me their names, laughed heartily. The other students were confused. But where's the pigeon?

[Villain E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, no. Basically the reader is encouraged to bully the Penguin. I know he's the bad guy, but neither he no the reader are being clever. It's just mocking. It's not okay to bully people just because they're unpleasant. It's possible they're unpleasant because they've been bullied.

Yes, I know this is a parody. I read the pigeon book a long time ago. I don't remember if it bothered me as much as this, but I know I didn't like it.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is super cute! Batman gives readers an important mission: Keep an eye on his Batmobile and DON’T let the penguin drive it! The rest of the pages in the book show the Penguin trying to cajole the reader into letting him behind the wheel! Very fun and a nice book for families to read together.

Coyer Scavenger Hunt
Book 3 of 5 of read 5 books under 100 pages

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, sweet parody of a children’s book I have seen....but have admittedly not read. (Bad librarian!) But , honestly, it could just be a parody of children’s books in general and it still totally works. Definitely brings a smile to the face of any Bat-fan. Plus, it manages to be kid-friendly so that nerdy parents can share it with the next generation.

[Mark Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up for a friend's kids. I'm not familiar with the particular children's book it's supposed to be parodying/homaging, but that doesn't prevent it from being an amusing little book that I'm sure the kids will get a kick out of. It looks like there's at least two similar books made by these guys so it's likely I'll be giving those out at a later date.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved MAD's version of Mo Willems "Don't Let the Pigeon..." series. I half-expected to see the pigeon hiding somewhere in the book. Although Alfred E. Neuman did make a cameo in the book, that was a nice Easter Egg. This was definitely a whimsical book, and I look forward to reading the other MAD parody books from classic children's books.

[Annajune · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read aloud for superhero day at the school. Especially when the superhero who was reading it can do awesome voices! It is a parody of "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" and it was funny. It would be more fun for kids who know the batman story (probably not my kids).

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a close parody that echos the original but the new characters make it funny again. The penguin uses all the pigeon's ideas and excuses, of course with similar success. A fun afterwards to reading the pigeon books.

[Senator · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's cute, it's chuckle worthy, but a far cry from other hilarious parodies such as "Go the Fuck to Sleep."

**** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review/ bookseller purposes ****

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I read a digital ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun parody of Mo Willems' "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!"

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute parody of the "Pigeon" books by Mo Willems. Perfect for super hero fans of all ages!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

LOL This book is hilarious. The plot is self-explanatory. I recommend for fans of both Mo Willems' Pigeon books and Batman.

Thanks to Net Galley for letting me view this book early.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book more than 3 stars. Because it is clever. I'm just not sure it's funny.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely done! A parody of Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really hilarious parody of the Pigeon books!

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pitch-perfect parody of the famous pigeon-centric picture book, starring the classic Batman characters we all know. Even non Bat-fans will appreciate.

[Grg · Rating 1 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is the title.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little underwhelming considering but still fun for lovers of Batman. It really helps if you know the Pigeon series like the back of your purple glove.