I Am Invited to a Party!
When Piggie gets a cool invitation to go to her first party, she invites her best friend Elephant to go with her. “Party! Party! Party! Party!” the two chant joyously. Elephant declares, "I know parties," and that, as it turns out, is very true. Not knowing what kind of party it will be—a fancy party, a pool party, or a costume party—the two resourceful friends prepare for all three. You could adopt an Elephant and Piggie theme for a child’s birthday party, playing games based on the stories in the series, such as Balance the Nest on Your Head, Make Someone Laugh, and Pretend to Fly.

Make room on your shelves and in your hearts for two captivating new characters: the indefatigable Piggie and her pragmatic bespectacled companion, Elephant (AKA Gerald). So far, there are four books in the resplendent Elephant and Piggie series, and four more due out in 2008. These are some of the funniest buddy stories you’ll ever read and some of the best examples of brilliant early readers since Dr. Seuss’s Hop on Pop. Willems says he doesn’t draw anything a three-year-old can’t copy, and for sure, your young’uns will love drawing these engaging characters—a genial pink pig and her often pessimistic but always dapper best friend. Each of the brief laugh-out-loud books is written entirely in balloon dialogue—pink for Piggie and gray for Elephant. All are easy-to-read books kids can handle independently, but you'll also enjoy reading their adventures aloud. Children can draw their own portraits, on heavystock paper, of the dynamic duo, color them, cut them out, and staple them to popsicle sticks. With their homemade little stick puppets, they can act out each of the stories, either alone or with a friend, sibling, or grownup.

For reproducible activity pages and ideas for using the first four books in the Elephant & Piggie series, you can download the Elephant and Piggie Event Kit, written by Judy Freeman, at www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com. Type “Piggie” in the search bar, click on any one of the book titles, and you’ll see the link to the guide on each book’s home page. More fun awaits at Mo Willems’s website, www.pigeonpresents.com.

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:
My Friend Is Sad. Willems, Mo. Illus. by the author. Hyperion, 2007. (57 pages; AGES 2-6)
ISBN-13: 978-1423102977
“Ohhh . . .” moans Gerald, lost in his own misery. “My friend is sad,” Piggie explains to us, her audience. “I will make him happy.” Yee-haw! Piggie throws herself into cheering up Gerald, dressing up as a cowboy, a clown, and even a robot. Nothing works. Not until he sees Piggie sans adornment does Gerald even recognize his friend and shed his melancholia. “I need my friends,” he says contentedly. “You need new glasses,” Piggie quips, rolling her eyes.

There Is a Bird on Your Head! Willems, Mo. Illus. by the author. Hyperion, 2007. (57 pages; AGES 2-6)
ISBN-10: 1423106865
Elephant is not one bit happy when Piggie tells him there is a bird on his head. Could anything be worse? Certainly. Soon there are two birds sitting on Elephant’s head. They are love birds and they build a nest there and lay three eggs which then hatch. Stop in mid-read, where Elephant says, “I do not want three baby chicks, two birds, and a nest on my head!” and ask listeners what they think Elephant should do about his predicament. This book is the very deserving recipient of  the 2008 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, “the most distinguished American book for beginning readers.”

Today I Will Fly. Willems, Mo. Illus. by the author. Hyperion, 2007. (57 pages; AGES 2-6)
ISBN-10: 1423102959
You know that old saying, "Pigs will fly"? Well, Piggie is determined to do just that—fly. Elephant tells her, "YOU WILL NEVER FLY!" Does his naysaying stop Piggie? Not for a second. With the help of an obliging dog, a pelican, and a strategically-tied piece of string, Piggie takes to the air.

Themes: BEST FRIENDS. BIRDS ELEPHANTS. FRIENDSHIP. HUMOROUS FICTION. PARTIES. PERSEVERANCE. PIGS.