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Introduction
Why write an article about an author and illustrator of preschool children's books and two of his most beloved characters? The purpose of this piece is to celebrate Mo Willems, who uses his characters, Elephant and Piggie, to model positive traits. He deserves recognition for writing entertaining books that highlight kindness and friendship. While sharing everyday experiences, his characters show how to put the needs of others first. His books are also perfect for enriching the curriculum with math, reading, and higher level thinking activities.
The simple illustrations are so expressive that many times words are not needed. Often the reader can tell what the characters are thinking just by the looks on their faces. Willems uses the size of print to give clues about emotions. If Elephant is sad, the print will be very small. If Piggie is happy or excited, the print is extremely large.
Elephant and Piggie are best friends even though they have opposite personalities. Elephant is contemplative, serious, thoughtful, and somewhat insecure. Piggie is carefree, adventurous, cheerful, and exuberant.
The series of stories about these two characters includes 25 books. Summaries of five are provided here along with suggestions regarding how the books can be used with any age group.
Featured Books
In Should I Share My Ice Cream? (Willems, 2011), Elephant spends most of the book telling himself reasons for and against sharing his ice cream cone with Piggie. By the time he decides to share, the ice cream has melted all over the sidewalk. Piggie comes along with her own ice cream cone and shares it with Elephant. He thinks that this wasn't his plan, but the two friends were still able to share a tasty treat.
Elephant is worried in My New...