Waiting Is Not Easy!
Book - 2014
Piggie tells Gerald she has a surprise for him, but it is not there yet so Gerald must be patient.
Publisher:
New York : Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group, [2014]
Edition:
First edition
Series:
- Elephant & Piggie book - bk. 24
- Children's Notable Books - 2015
ISBN:
9781423199571
142319957X
142319957X
Branch Call Number:
E WIL
Characteristics:
57 pages : color illustrations ; 24 cm


Comment
Add a CommentNovel idea, but quite disappointed in the book as a whole. The pictures are almost the same on every page, and have almost no color. There's nothing to keep a small child interested other than the words, which are incredibly limited. I thought that with the character freaking out on pretty much every page it taught more bad behavior than the notion that waiting is worthwhile!
Great book for little ones. Fast read but it sure makes its point that sometimes waiting is worth it! Kids will relate to the elephant getting tired of waiting, but then finding out it was indeed worth waiting for! Hilarious ending! Highly recommended.
Kids totally understand this concept. All of Mo Willems books are fun to read and my kids just love them.
"The story is about to be patient." Reveiw submitted by Mateo Martinez for the Minecraft Book Review Raffle.
This is a great book for 2 people to read together -- where one plays piggy, and the other acts Gerald's lines.
A beginner reader can ham it up, and be a star.
'We Are in a Book' and Tacky the Penguin books are also great for home theater fun.
My 2.5 yo son LOVES this book! It's the book that turned us on to Mo Willems and is one of our favorites, of the handful we've read.
SUMMARY: Piggie the pig tells Gerald the elephant that he has a surprise for him. But of course Gerald does not want to wait. He throws a fit or two, but manages to wait long enough for his wonderful surprise.
ILLUSTRATIONS: In typical Mo Williams style, these pictures are very simple with nothing but Piggie and Gerald on a white background. But he knows how to use body language and facial expression to full advantage to tell the story.
THE GOOD: Williams uses just enough language to tell his story and to be funny while doing it. When Gerald throws a fit, his speech bubble grows so large it squishes Piggie to the ground. He goes through all of the emotions common when waiting becomes frustrating. And then when he gets his surprise, you feel the relief and the joy in the waiting. The language is simple for an early reader and yet not insulting to the intelligence. Williams does an amazing job at telling a full and complex story with so few words. I can only say WOW!
AGE RECOMMENDATION: I recommend this book for independent reading to any child beginning to read words.
In Mo Willems's newest Elephant and Piggie Book, the two friends vivaciously enact a familiar truth: "Waiting is not easy!"
When Piggie bounds up to Gerald announcing that he has an exciting surprise to share, Gerald begs Piggie for more information. But Piggie holds fast: Gerald will have to wait. A mighty “GROAN!” ensues and the book continues with variations on this basic exchange. As day turns to twilight, Gerald becomes grumpy and frustrated, complaining: “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” When Piggie finally gestures up to the Milky Way, an awed Gerald acknowledges that the starry view “was worth the wait.”
Willems relies even more so than usual here on changes in posture, layout and typography. Piggie amusingly assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Gerald’s elephantine groans take on literal weight and knock Piggie to the ground. Finally, the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends and drive home the lesson that waiting is tough but worth it.