I Am Invited to a Party!-An Elephant and Piggie Book

Description: Caldecott Honor artist Mo Willems continues his charming Elephant & Piggie series of first readers with these two titles, in which Piggie is invited to her very first party, while Gerald discovers that there is something worse than a bird on his head. Full color.

Review Quotes: The ever-exuberant Piggie is invited to a party, but it is the more circumspect Gerald the elephant who knows his way around parties and insists that they must prepare. Under Gerald's guidance, the pair dresses for a fancy party, a pool party, and a costume party cumulatively, layering their garb into truly eccentric fashion statements. Willems executes a fresh take on the cumulative tale in this fourth installment in his easy reader series starring Piggie and Gerald, introducing an updated set of survival words and sentence structures for new readers, as well as str4essing the importance of reading pictures as well as words for a more comprehensive approach to contemporary literacy. Humor emanates from Gerald's calm assurance of his expertise ("I know parties," the pachyderm proudly asserts) counterpoised against Piggie's skepticism, which is expressed through wry glances and direct addresses to the reader. She's merrily compliant, though, and the payoff is surprising and witty. These books will easily take their place alongside Seuss and Eastman as classics in the beginning-reader genre. BCCB"