“The END?” A Farewell Tribute to Elephant & Piggie
“Yes. All books end.”
After 25 adventures, Mo Willems announced the end to his much loved Elephant & Piggie series with The Thank You Book. No, Mo Willems — thank YOU for this wild ride. We learned that Waiting is Not Easy, to try new things (I Really Like Slop!), and that even adults play pretend (I'm a Frog!).
What makes this series so lovable?
1. Just like Willems’ pigeon, both Elephant and Piggie can be drawn with a few simple lines. Draw these characters and put them in a book or comic strip!
2. Act out the books, like a play, or simply read them aloud. With speech bubbles and defined character personalities, these books are great for oral storytelling.
3. The books celebrate friendship and the joys that come along with it: sharing ice cream, going on a trip, and life’s little surprises.
4. With plenty of blank space on the page, the clear pictures, expressions and narrative can stand out with little distraction. These books are a favourite of many readers with special needs or on the autism spectrum.
5. Willems joked that if you don’t know how to read yet after following the books, you never will. These books are perfect Beginner Readers, introducing new vocabulary to children for them to sound out in a humorous way. (BA-NA-NA anyone?)
6. Teachers adore this series for making inferences with their students and kids love them just as much. Teaching guides touch on Elephant and Piggie's character building potential, teaching qualities such as fairness and trust, as well as for the math or science connections the books provide.
Oh, Elephant & Piggie. You will be missed. We could never replace you, but definitely hold you in high regard with the likes of:
- Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel (Ages 5-7)
- The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak (Ages 5-8)
- The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli (Ages 3-5)
- Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett (Ages 3-6)
- George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends by James Marshall (Ages 4-7)
- Is Everyone Ready for FUN? by Jan Thomas (Ages 3-5)
- Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire (Ages 2-6)
- The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone (Ages 3-5)
- The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss (Ages 2-5)
In true Seinfeld-like fashion, the final book bids adieu to each character in the Elephant & Piggie world, 25 of them to be exact. Stay tuned for a new installment of books this September called "Elephant & Piggie Like Reading," written and illustrated by multiple contributors. Willems has said that Elephant & Piggie will make cameo appearances in each book's introduction.
7 thoughts on ““The END?” A Farewell Tribute to Elephant & Piggie”
I love this series!! As a Leading to Reading volunteer, I have used the books to help build the confidence of my student. He can now read these on his own! Thanks Mo!!!
Amazing work, Jo-Ann. That’s a true testament to these stories and the power that a dedicated volunteer holds.
How did I not know that “The Thank You Book” would be the last one in the “Elephant & Piggie” Series?!?!!! I can only chalk it up to possible denial!
I love Gerald and Piggie and my personal favourite book in the series is “I Am Invited to a Party” followed closely by “We Are in a Book”.
Thank you for this great post Jennifer–it’s a fitting tribute…even if it did break the bad news to me about “The End”!
I just found out too, despite the announcement over a month ago. I might describe my response as pure devastation because don’t Elephant & Piggie have “SO MUCH MORE TO GIVE!” according to the book? Oh and thanks for reading my post, with teary eyes. Oinky oink oink, forever.
By the way, some good news for Toronto Elephant & Piggie fans – in addition to the books Mo Williams has created an Elephant & Piggie musical that will be touring both the US and Canada, including a stop in Oakville, ON on March 27, 2017! http://www.oakvillecentre.ca/whats-on/Elephant_and_Piggie.html
That’s great news for the fan community! Wishing you a Happy Pig Day and thanks for sharing.
WOW!!!!!!!