Saying Goodbye to Elephant & Piggie

Say it ain’t so, Mo! Only one more Elephant and Piggie book? THE SERIES ENDS?! The Thank You Book may finally be here, but they have more to give! More words! More jokes! More “bananas”!
Best friends Piggie and Elephant Gerald have an ideal relationship, displaying fierce loyalty, trust, caring, and generosity. They encourage and support one another through many kid-familiar scenarios and always come to a satisfying, usually humorous, conclusion, with much silliness along the way. Here’s the definitive list of the 10 funniest Elephant & Piggie books so far.

10. Elephants Cannot Dance!, by Mo Willems
Dressed in a lavender tutu and leotard, Piggie lands next to Gerald with a grand jeté and an intention to teach him to dance. Our stalwart elephant friend resists this invitation, then does his best to prove the truth behind the book’s title. Piggie’s graceful movements are juxtaposed with Gerald’s exuberant lumbering and complete inability to follow the simplest direction. His frustration is palpable, and just when it really seems like the friends have given up, some squirrels rush in and save the day.

9. A Big Guy Took My Ball!, by Mo Willems
Piggie finds and then quickly loses a big ball to a big guy. Incensed big guy Gerald vows to get it back, winning one for the little guy. Enjoy Gerald’s rare bravado as he charges off into the unknown, only to come back unsuccessful and belittled. Ignore any gender stereotyping misgivings you might have about Piggie’s needing to be rescued, and read this book as it’s intended: exploring the relationship between a big friend and a little one.

8. Pigs Make Me Sneeze!, Mo Willems
Despite having costarred with a pig in nine books before this one, sneezing Gerald realizes pigs are the cause of his sudden achoos. Piggie gets forcefully propelled around the pages and barely gets a word in, other than to ask if her friend could try to sneeze a little more softly. Gerald’s histrionics reach terrific heights as he contemplates the implications of his alleged allergy.

7. We Are in a Book!, Mo Willems
When our friends break the fourth wall, things take a turn for the possibly disturbing. They become aware of our existence and realize they’re in the pages of a book. Piggie decides to make the reader say a word. Gerald learns that books end. THEY DO! See how many times your kids make you read this one before they understand why it starts with “thank you.”

6.  I Am Invited to a Party!, Mo Willems
This book is a frighteningly accurate account of what happens on the rare occasions when my husband and I are invited to a party. Thankfully, he knows parties, just like Gerald! (I’m the Piggie in this scenario.) Having never been to a party, she asks Gerald for advice. What he tells her is strange and keeps changing, until she starts to get incredulous. But it all turns out great: we, and they, are never, ever incorrectly attired for a party.

5. Today I Will Fly!, Mo Willems
Pigs just want to fly. Don’t ask me why. In this, the first Elephant & Piggie book, Gerald is the voice of reason, standing by as Piggie cheerfully insists on doing what we all know can’t happen. If you imagine Gerald as Orville and Piggie as Wilbur, this book is a fairly faithful retelling of the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903.

4. I Really Like Slop!, Mo Willems
I really like this book. Certain members of my household do not see its charm, and this puzzles me. How can you fail to see the brilliance of Piggie explaining “pig culture” to her skeptical friend? “The flies are how you know it is ripe!” Equally amusing is poor Gerald trying to hold it together while knowing he’s going to have to eat the most revolting thing he can imagine in order to salvage his friendship. May you never find yourself in his enormous shoes.

3. Can I Play Too?, Mo Willems
Piggie and Gerald are preparing to play catch when up slithers a snake who wishes to play. AWKWARD! Watch as Gerald and Piggie try to tiptoe around the “no arms” issue. The snake knows he’s a snake! When the friends try things the traditional way, the snake gets bonked in the head. When they keep trying harder, the snake gets bonked in the head even more. Finally, Piggie comes up with an unusual way to play catch and saves the game. A review from my daughter: “It’s like he’s throwing the snake and it’s BONKING on Piggie’s head!” Indeed.

2. I Broke My Trunk!, Mo Willems
Ah, the classic “baggy elephant” story, in which an elephant, in this case Gerald, introduces ever more ridiculous things as he tells a story, none of which are the point of the story. First Hippo, then Rhino, then Hippo’s Sister (“Hippo has a sister?”) want a ride on Gerald’s trunk. But that’s not how he broke it…

1. There Is a Bird on Your Head!, Mo Willems
The funniest. The best. A bird appears on Gerald’s head, and things get crazier from there. A nest! More birds! Love! Gerald’s despair grows parallel to the crowd gathering on his crown, while Piggie gleefully reports the goings on. This book is sublimely ridiculous and enjoyable. And I’m not just saying that because I do have a bird on my head, or because that’s what my little birdie told me.
The B&N Exclusive Edition of The Thank You Book is in stores now.