Preschool-Grade 2. It’s possible that Willems’ flagship Elephant & Piggie series might go on forever, and it’s also possible that everyone would be okay with that. In this pleasing go-round, Piggie is aflutter after a traumatic incident. After Piggie found a “big ball,” a “big guy came” (cue teary-eyed stammering) “and—and—and—HE TOOK MY BALL!” This doesn’t sit right with Gerald, who is soon shaking his gray fist in indignance. He stomps off to confront the thief, only to find that, well, “He is very BIG.” (Picture the word BIG taking up half the page.) It is a blue whale that towers over our dynamic duo—pretty terrifying stuff until the whale gives readers a lesson on size: it’s all relative. If we’re quibbling, there’s some standing in place going on here as Gerald hems and haws over not getting back the big ball (or “little ball” as its known to the whale). But, as always, Willems’ staging of his characters and text across the white background is a master class in economy. Further classes forthcoming? Count on it. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Is it time yet to add a second Elephant & Piggie shelf in your library?
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