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ksoles
Jan 15, 2015ksoles rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Geisel Medal winning series, "Elephant and Piggie," rarely disappoints. In one of the best yet, Mo Willems uses wry humour and perfect pacing to teach a valuable lesson on friendship and flexibility. As Gerald and Piggie prepare to play catch, they become dubious when Snake slithers up asking to join. Snake feels dejected by his friends' response but Gerald tries to explain that he and Piggie DO want to play with Snake, it's just that they're playing catch. "With our arms," he elaborates. "So?" Snake responds and awkward silence follows. The moment resolves as the three friends try to play catch together, with many predictable BONKs ensuing. Finally, Piggie has an idea (complete with illustrated light bulb) that provides the ideal solution. Willems's page turns and speech bubbles yield multiple chuckles but also provide guidance to kids navigating friendships with those who have differing abilities.