| Elephant and Piggie: Let's Go for a Drive! |
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What You Need to Know:
• Let's Go for a Drive! is the eighteenth book in the hilarious Elephant and Piggie series by the brilliant and prolific
Mo Williems.
• The Elephant and Piggie books simultaneously do so many things well, including: teaching children to read, to
socialize, to be a good friend, to empathize, to laugh and so much more. And they are enormously entertaining.
• If you have young children, you should buy these books in bulk and have the entire canon on your young readers'
bookshelf. They would make for a perfect gift when a child is born.
• The way Willems' deft illustrations convey exactly what the character is feeling, without the need for words, is really
nothing short of genius.
• In a few short pages, with spare prose, Willems has created a suspenseful story that will have you and your young
reader hooked from start to finish.
• Your young reader should be able to read it by themselves after only a few shared readings.
• For all those pigeon fans out there, check out the end-papers (the inside, back cover of the books). Pigeon makes a
guest appearance! |
Sweet Series Background:
Let's Go for a Drive!, is another wonderful addition in the learn-to-read series by Mo Willems. Think of it in the same vein as a Dr. Seuss book, similar in size and feel, with a bit less text than the longer-winded Seuss books. In the Elephant and Piggie books, Willems effortlessly combines elements required for this learning-to-read genre like word repetition and sight word inclusion, with comedy, terrific illustrations and a great story-line. The last is what makes this series so special. So many of the learn-to-read books are dreadfully boring because it is hard to repeat words, keep the vocabulary simple, and still create a great story. Willems does it effortlessly with Elephant & Piggie. |
Sweet Book Summary:
If you are as big a fan of Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie books as we are, you have probably already purchased this latest installment and are happily reading it over and over again with your young readers. But young readers (and new parents) are born every day. So we continue to highlight this incredible series when each and every title comes out. It would be a crying shame is somebody, anybody, didn't know about this series!
As is always the case, Gerald's neurosis and Piggie's joie de vivre are on full display in Let's Go for a Drive!. The two best friends have decided to take a drive. With Gerald planning for every eventuality and Piggie joyfully following through, they gather all they need: Map! Sunglasses! Umbrellas! Bags! And, finally: Car!
Uh-oh. Piggie and Gerald don't have a car. But, alas, what they lack in transportation they more than make up for with imagination. As Gerald says, "Who needs a car when you have a pig for a pal?"
School Library Journal called these books "mini-dramas". I couldn't have said it better myself. With each Elephant & Piggie mini-drama that plays out, young readers are wildly entertained. They are also being taught valuable friendship lessons (very subtly) and are learning to read and interact with text (again, very subtly). Perfection. |
Author: Mo Willems Illustrator: Mo Willems Published: 2012, 64 pages
Themes: Friendship, Animals, Excellent Read-Aloud, Humor, Cooperation |
Sweet Discussion Questions:
• Do you think Elephant and Piggie worked well together? Why or why not?
• Are you able to cooperate like that with a friend? Why or why not?
• How would you describe Piggie? How would you describe Gerald?
• Who are you most like, Elephant or Piggie? How or why?
• Do you have a friendship in your life like Elephant and Piggie's friendship? Tell me about it. |
| This recommendation was written by: Melissa Y. |
| Support Independent Book Shops: Click Here to Buy this Book on IndieBound |
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