Saturday, March 31, 2012

Favorite Children's Books: Elephant and Piggie Books

We love ALL the elephant and piggie books by Mo Willems. They are some of the BEST books for early readers. The stories tell about two best friends, Gerald (an elephant) and piggie (a pig) that are different in about every way possible. Gerald is cautious and pessimistic. Piggie is optimistic, but sometimes reckless. I love how they tell the story through pictures with only a few words. The words are repetitive and simple, helping new readers feel more confident in their reading. For very, very beginning readers, it's fun to read it with them. You read the main words, but point to the words that repeat and have the child read those words. 

The stories are funny! I think this is our favorite: 


What's could be worse than a bird on your head? How about two birds on your head? And it doesn't stop there! Read in amazement as Gerald's plight gets worse and worse. Until finally it's resolved, but piggie is in for a big surprise!

One of the things I love about these books is that children learn through reading the stories how to get along with one another. Here's some of the messages that I've found in the elephant and piggie books:

It's okay for people to be different and still be good friends.
We don't always agree, but that's okay.
Best friends do things together, laugh together and have fun together.
When we misunderstand each other, we work at it until we figure things out.
Best friends stick together through thick and thin.

Be sure to check these books out! They are great for children of all ages, but especially for early readers. I hope your family enjoys them as much as we have.

No comments:

Popular Posts

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails