Review Blog

Aug 10 2012

Today I will fly! An Elephant and Piggie Book by Mo Willems

Walker Books ISBN: 9781 4063 3848 5.
A recommended read for grades Reception - Two. Mo Willems, beloved author of wonderous texts such as Don't Let the Pigeon drive the bus! and Knuffle Bunny, is throwing his hat into the early reader ring, with a series of books starring Gerald (the elephant) and Piggie (who is, you guessed it, the pig).
These are simple texts, designed for the early reader, with clear and uncluttered pages, and words in speech bubbles and bold print. The sparseness of the pages makes the book quite a good jumping off point for young readers to focus on the graphological aspects of reading, without having to compete with overly busy illustrations.
Today I Will Fly is the fourth in the series of Gerald and Piggie. In this story, Piggie is determined to fly, and she will hear no different. Piggie tries lots of different ways to fly, and is very open to asking for help, which she receives from various quarters. She is tenacious, and eventually she achieves something close to her goal.
Gerald, having been playing the role of Doubting Thomas throughout, is of course ultimately happy to share in her success and delight, which in turn inspires him to give flying a shot too!
Small readers will enjoy the simple and unpretentious friendship that these two unlikely pals share. It's honest and simple, much like Willem's literary style.
Freya Lucas