Mo Willems The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog Book Lunch Recipe Ideas!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Disney Book Group. All opinions are my own.

It's funny, the older my kids get, the more I enjoy reading them books as frequently as possible. I don't know if it's because I see that our time for reading books geared towards younger readers is coming to an end in the next couple years, or the fact that I love reading the books as much as they love being read to.

Our typical family bedtime routine is to get pajamas on, brush teeth, and then my kids each get to choose a book for me to read to them. There are certain books that I absolutely love when they pick out. The Pigeon series of books by Mo Willems definitely falls into that category, and can you believe it-the Pigeon series is celebrating 16 years!

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is actually one of our favorite books of the moment, so to celebrate Pigeon's 16th BIRD-Day, I had to make a lunch inspired by the story. This book is entertaining for the family with a great lesson at the end.

Because we are so into the Pigeon books, we cannot wait for the release of the newest book in the series: The Pigeon Has to Go to School. Since Mo Willems has done such a fantastic job with his previous books, we expect this newest Pigeon book will be more of the same when it is released on June 2, 2019! My kids can't wait to see what adventures The Pigeon will be involved in now. Until then, here are some fun lunch recipe ideas to go with The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! Here's to 16 years!

Ingredients: Whole wheat bread slices, cream cheese, blue food coloring, jam, tortilla, sliced meat (or other food for background), nori (roasted seaweed snack), cheddar cheese, dried lemon slices, grape tomatoes, dried apples, fruit roll, raspberry.

Directions: 
1. Cut two circles and two rectangles from slices of bread. Spread jam in between the slices to make the neck and head of the Pigeon.

2. Mix cream cheese with a couple drops of blue food coloring. Spread mixture on top of the sandwiches. Drop background of meat and tomatoes (or whatever else you choose) into the main compartment of the lunchbox. Arrange sandwich on top in the shape of Pigeon's head as shown.

3. Cut circle and rectangle out of a tortilla. Place on face for eye and on the neck. Cut smaller circle of nori and place on top of tortilla to complete Pigeon's eye. Cut beak out of cheddar cheese and put in place.

4. Roll up fruit roll and slice into small pieces to make "hot dogs." Cut raspberries and dried lemon into strips. Place fruit roll hot dog on dried apple and lay lemon and raspberry strips on top for ketchup and mustard. Place in side compartment.

5. Stack dried lemon slices on top of each other. Cut another circle out of tortilla and spread blue cream cheese on tortilla. Top lemon slices with tortilla "eye" for duckling.

6. Cut small beak pieces out of cheddar cheese and put in place. Place duckling in side compartment.

7. Read The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog (or your favorite Pigeon book) with your kids in celebration of Pigeon's 16th BIRD-day, and pick up The Pigeon Has to Go to School in June!

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