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Elephant & Piggie #21
My New Friend Is So Fun!
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In My New Friend Is So Fun! Piggie is having so much fun with her new friend. But where does that leave Gerald?
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In My New Friend Is So Fun! Piggie is having so much fun with her new friend. But where does that leave Gerald?
60 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2014
23 people are currently reading
1179 people want to read
About the author
Mo Willems
232 books4,117 followers#1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems is best known for his Caldecott Honor winning picture books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale.
In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91.
The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's."
Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.
In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91.
The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's."
Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
July 16, 2018
Another wonderful Elephant and Piggie book sure to keep the young reader hooked from the opening sentence. Those who know these books will be aware that Piggie and Gerald are the best of friends, there for one another when the need arises. However, when Piggie begins playing with a new friend, she is very excited to share every possible moment with Brian Bat. That leaves Gerald and Snake on the outside, something that they are not all that fond of being. Will that put the Piggie-Gerald friendship in jeopardy? Neo knows all about having friends and being able to share wonderful moments. He is, however, not unaware of the fleeting moniker of ‘best friend’ when a new person enters his life. No matter who he calls friend, Neo will recommend these books to anyone who will listen.
July 22, 2014
When Piggie starts hanging out with Brian the Bat, Gerald and Snake worry that their best friends will not want to be friends with them any more. Do they have something to worry about?
Those familiar with the Elephant and Piggie picture book series will be delighted with the latest entry. There is a lesson here, but it is never preachy. Instead, we get some laughs and fun as we watch Gerald and Snake overreact. Plus there's the warm ending. My only complaint, and it is minor, is that Brian really doesn't look like a bat to me. But I'm being picky here.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Those familiar with the Elephant and Piggie picture book series will be delighted with the latest entry. There is a lesson here, but it is never preachy. Instead, we get some laughs and fun as we watch Gerald and Snake overreact. Plus there's the warm ending. My only complaint, and it is minor, is that Brian really doesn't look like a bat to me. But I'm being picky here.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
May 30, 2017
I read "My New Friend Is So Fun!" by Mo Willems.
Read
August 1, 2014I just can't get enough of Elephant and Piggie. I marvel as to how Willems keeps coming up with new ideas. This latest entry into the series explores a common worry children have about their friends finding a new friend they might like better. Willems explore this topic with his usual charm and fun. Kudos to the author for yet another book that will be a winner with kids and their parents.
March 20, 2016
Woa, I liked this a lot... everytime I read children books I realise how much they are for adults as well.
we share the same emotions, and jealous is one of them.. two friends are afraid of their best friends new best friends and are about to tell them to 'Stop Having Fun' to be surbrised that they've been thinking about them while having fun.. :D
we share the same emotions, and jealous is one of them.. two friends are afraid of their best friends new best friends and are about to tell them to 'Stop Having Fun' to be surbrised that they've been thinking about them while having fun.. :D
April 30, 2016
A sweet book about the sometimes scary feeling of letting a friend be friends with others.
December 24, 2017
A really cute book about how Gerald and Snake are concerned because their best friends are playing with each other without them
December 10, 2018
Top shelf, award winning goodness. Strong message for kids but really satisfying to read as an adult.
September 13, 2022
Read aloud to my niece during a Books and Cookies event at her school. You bet I'm counting it.
April 21, 2023
I read this in 2017 & re-read it in 2023. I like it better this time! Mo Willems is one of my favorite authors. I like how he presented the problem of best friends playing with others, and had a clever ending!
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October 18, 2022Nah this book is fire idc some of y’all need to take notes!!
March 27, 2022
The 3 star rating is based on a Mo Willems scale, in comparison with his other books, so probably a 4 star book in general.
This Elephant and Piggie installment has all the good markers of Willems’ books: repetition, word emphasis indications, a quick read, expressive characters, and a worthy message for young readers. It’s just not as fun as so many of Willems other books. The snake has the best line toward the end.
Mother Tongue notes: There are 4 characters and very little text per page. The earliest readers can read the parts of Piggie and Brian the bat. Snake initiates most of the vocabulary, and should be read by the strongest reader.
Many adverbs of degree are used. A connected activity could name and practice other ways to describe something as more extreme, such as similes.
This Elephant and Piggie installment has all the good markers of Willems’ books: repetition, word emphasis indications, a quick read, expressive characters, and a worthy message for young readers. It’s just not as fun as so many of Willems other books. The snake has the best line toward the end.
Mother Tongue notes: There are 4 characters and very little text per page. The earliest readers can read the parts of Piggie and Brian the bat. Snake initiates most of the vocabulary, and should be read by the strongest reader.
Many adverbs of degree are used. A connected activity could name and practice other ways to describe something as more extreme, such as similes.
March 4, 2018
I related all too well to the storyline presented here. It can be scary when a close friend starts to meet and spend time with other people and feel inevitable that you will lose your close bond and get left behind; it's happened to me countless times. I imagine that this fear may be even more pronounced in the mind of an insecure child, so kudos to Willems for tackling such a tricky topic.
April 10, 2019
Gosh, isn't Mo Willems just fantastic?! I loved how this book dealt with the feelings that a kid might have when their best friend makes a new friend and the insecurities that are felt. But then the book leaves with the message that it's okay for your friends to make new friends. Love!
June 21, 2017
Willems is an expert at exploring fears and emotions in a simple but engaging story perfect for young children. I wish these had been around when my kids were younger.
March 22, 2018
I read this to my niece and nephew. My niece was riveted.
September 3, 2018
Funny book about friends and jealousy.
March 30, 2019
I was surprised when was playing with Brian. I was also surprised when they drew their other best friends.
August 31, 2019
We read this one with the Barnes and Noble read aloud.
January 18, 2021
Did you have any idea how to make this
December 29, 2021
I really liked this one. The twist at the end really got me. A good lesson in that sharing friends is good!
June 7, 2022
3.5, per Ari, who is reading this series to ME!!!
November 12, 2022
Such a lovely lesson about sharing friends.
July 22, 2019
Grace did a good job with this one, had trouble with the word “having” and the name “Brian”. I was proud she knew eyes and friend without help. Good job Grace
November 6, 2022
Julianna read this to us tonight. Mommy & Daddy are so proud she can read to us. She gives the book 5 stars. Cute book. Love hearing Julianna reading Elephant, Gerald & Piggie books. She does the emotions when reads too :-)
February 15, 2017
One of my E&P faves - sweet and laugh out loud funny
December 2, 2015
Not my favorite E&P as far as humor and being able to act this one out. However, it is fabulous in showing us (especially kids) that we can have lots of friends (good ones, too) and not worry about other friends taking us away from the friendships that already exist. Because then they aren't really a good friend, are they?
12/2/15 Used in my Things We Love at the Holidays: Friends theme. Was going to use I Will Surprise My Friend, but still haven't figured out what to do with the simultaneous parts. So I did this instead, and thought it came with a good lesson they could take away if they wanted. Was able to put in more emotion than I thought. The adults all had a great laugh at the Snake when he said he could't cover his eyes. I asked the kids why and that's when they got the humor of it. Another hit if not as many laughs.
12/2/15 Used in my Things We Love at the Holidays: Friends theme. Was going to use I Will Surprise My Friend, but still haven't figured out what to do with the simultaneous parts. So I did this instead, and thought it came with a good lesson they could take away if they wanted. Was able to put in more emotion than I thought. The adults all had a great laugh at the Snake when he said he could't cover his eyes. I asked the kids why and that's when they got the humor of it. Another hit if not as many laughs.
July 21, 2014
My New Friend is So Fun! by Mo Willems – All Ages – How does he do it? Loved once again. So I loved this book because I knew it would be a book addressing that fear/worry about your close friend making other friends and leaving you behind… how Mo perfectly pulled this book off? It is Mo Willems, that is how. Loved loved loved… If all friends could balance off one another like Gerald and Piggie it would be lovely. *I loved that there were FOUR voices in this book and when my son and I read it aloud, we had fun reading some lines jointly, etc.
June 5, 2014
Gerald and Snake are happy to know that Piggie and Brian Bat have finally met and they're hanging out, but then they worry that they may no longer want to be friends with them. As with all other Elephant and Piggie books, there's so much humor here and this is definitely a fear that children will have about making friends and keeping old friends. I love seeing new characters in Gerald and Piggie's world and I am so thankful that this series is continuing so well. Wonderful for read-alouds.
January 25, 2015
Catching up with Gerald and Piggie as they explore the idea of friendship. Can you have a best friend and still have other friends? This is an issue that many of my students deal with - friendship. What does it mean to be a friend? Is it ok if your friend does not always play with you at recess? Do you have to like and do everything that your friend does? Love the Elephant & Piggie series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews