By: Mo Willems
Published by: Hyperion, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Plot Summary
Piggie and Gerald are best friends. One day Piggie tells Gerald that she has a surprise for him. Gerald asks Piggie many questions about the surprise. Gerald has trouble waiting and gets frustrated. Piggie stays calm and tries to help Gerald be patient Eventually, Piggie reveals the surprise, a beautiful view of the stars. Gerald decides it was definitely worth the wait.
Critical Analysis
Gerald and Piggie are well-known and relatable characters for small children. In this story, Piggie lets Gerald know that she has a surprise for him, but he has to wait for it. Children and adults will be able to relate to the feeling of having to wait for something good or fun to happen and all the emotion that goes into that. Gerald uses different tactics to help himself wait, questioning Piggie, complaining, and groaning. Willems uses repetition with Gerald’s groaning and each time he does, the speech bubble containing the groan gets bigger and bigger (eventually taking up the entire page and crushing Piggie under its weight). This is a great visual representation of Gerald’s feelings.
When we finally see that Piggie’s surprise is the beautiful stars above, Willems uses actual images of the Milky Way at the top of his illustrations which helps to depict just how amazing the sky is at night. We are there with Gerald and Piggie, experiencing their sense of awe and their satisfaction at the wait finally being over.
Awards
Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book- 2015
Review Excerpt
from: Kirkus Reviews, posted November 5, 2014
“Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.”
Connections
Children will also enjoy the other books in the Elephant & Piggie series. They can read 2-3 books and compare how the characters are feeling in them. They can also read one of Willems’ other books, such as one from The Pigeon series, the Knuffle Bunny series or others and compare and contrast the stories and illustrations. Students can extend the lesson by writing their own Elephant & Piggie story. They can also act out the story using puppets.
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