We Are Growing!

by Mo Willems

Overview

Walt and his friends are growing up fast! Everyone is the something-est. But . . . what about Walt? He is not the tallest, or the curliest, or the silliest. He is not the anything-est! As a BIG surprise inches closer, Walt discovers something special of his own!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484726358
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/20/2016
Series:	Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Series , #2
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	BR (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laurie Keller, an award-winning author and illustrator, has created many children’s books including Birdy’s Smile Book, The Scrambled States of America Talent Show, and Do Unto Otters, a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year. Laurie lives near Lake Michigan. Visit her at www.lauriekeller.com.


Mo Willems (www.pigeonpresents.com), a New York Times #1best-selling author and illustrator, has been awarded a Caldecott Honor on three occasions, for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. The celebrated Elephant & Piggie early-reader series has been awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal on two occasions (for There Is a Bird on Your Head! and Are You Ready to Play Outside?) as well as garnering five Geisel Honors (for We Are in a Book!, I Broke My Trunk!,Let’s Go for a Drive!, A Big Guy Took My Ball! and Waiting Is Not Easy!).

Editorial Reviews

2016-06-22
Elephant and Piggie make an appearance to introduce the first in their new series, an egalitarian introduction to superlatives. Each one of seven blades of talking grass—of a total of eight—discovers that it is superb at something: it's tallest, curliest, silliest, and so forth. The humor aims to appeal to a broad spectrum. It is slightly disturbing that one being eaten by purple bugs is proud of being the crunchiest, but that will certainly appeal to a slice of the audience. The eighth blade of grass is grappling with a philosophical identity crisis; its name is Walt, a sly reference to Whitman's Leaves of Grass that will go right over the heads of beginning readers but may amuse astute parents or teachers. Tension builds with the approach of a lawn mower; the blades of grass lose their unique features when they are trimmed to equal heights. Mercifully, they are chopped off right above the eyes and can continue their silly banter. Departing from the image of a Whitman-esque free spirit, Walt now discovers he is the neatest. Lots of speech bubbles, repetition, and clear layout make this entry a useful addition to lessons on adjectives and superlatives while delivering a not-so-subtle message that everyone is good at something. Elephant and Piggie's final assertion that "this book is the FUNNIEST" doesn't necessarily make it so, however. Amusing, yes. Useful for reading practice, yes, but not necessarily guaranteed to make new readers the "read-i-est." (Early reader. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews