Synopsis: Meet Elephant Gerald and Piggie. Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In this story, Piggie wants to fly. But Gerald knows that she cannot – or can she?

Review: This picture book is 57 pages long, which is unusual, but it only contains a few words and simple illustrations on each spread. The text and character drawings make it easy for the reader to focus on the storyline, and Piggie’s optimistic efforts to fly and the support of her bird-friend, is heart-warming. We learn something about believing from Elephant Gerald too.

This is another winner for Mo Willems, who manages to easily combine manners, friendship, morals and humor in this wonderful book for toddlers as well as early readers. The length and thickness of this book make it feel more advanced than it is, and might nudge an early reader to try longer texts, while the simple, repeated words will keep all audiences engaged for the duration.

2008-04-29