Published by Disney-Hyperion in 2003, it was Willems' first book for children, and received the Caldecott Honor.

An animated adaptation of the book, produced by Weston Woods Studios, won the 2010 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video.

[2] Willems has created further books about the Pigeon's adventures: Cameo appearances by the Pigeon can also be found in Willems's Knuffle Bunny, Elephant and Piggie, Leonardo, the Terrible Monster and Cat the Cat book series.

"[6] It was selected as one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.

A 2011 scientific study entitled "Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" examined the ability of pigeons to solve the traveling salesperson problem by taking the shortest route to visit multiple feeders in a laboratory.