SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Book Discussion
  • Heavy Medal Mock
  • Process

January 11, 2017 by Jonathan Hunt

Elephant & Piggie Like Reading

January 11, 2017 by Jonathan Hunt   4 comments

9781484726365_p0_v2_s118x184Leveraging the Elephant & Piggie brand, Mo Willems has extended the reach of the magical spell that he has cast over emergent readers with Elephant & Piggie Like Reading.  The first two entries–WE ARE GROWING by Laurie Keller and THE COOKIE FIASCO by Dan Santat–were published this past year, and while I think very highly of THE THANK YOU BOOK, these books are for a slightly more advanced audience and both have a lot to recommend themselves to the Newbery committee as well.  Indeed, I think you can build cases for each book in terms of plot, style, and theme as being among the most distinguished books for children, especially when you take the age of the very young audience into consideration.  Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Both of these books feature a story within a story: Gerald and Piggie introduce each book and then discuss it briefly afterward; it’s a nice bit of intertextuality in addition to earning bonus points for plot.  (Some people will want to credit this to Mo Willems, but it really doesn’t matter since the award goes to the book; the ALSC office can figure out afterwards who gets what.)unknown

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The plot-character arcs in these books are so well delineated, but each has a distinct variation.  For example, note that the central problem in THE COOKIE FIASCO is identified very early on page 5–“SOMEONE WILL NOT GET A COOKIE!” while its withheld from the reader in WE ARE GROWING clear until page 27–“I do not know WHAT I am!” Characters are well drawn (given the pithy text) and their desires and actions drive the plot forward in believable ways.

9781484726358_p0_v2_s118x184The theme of THE COOKIE FIASCO is sharing, a very popular one, but the addition of the math element (whether you see it as a division problem or a least common denominator problem with fractions) elevates it to another level.  But Betsy Bird beat me to this, writing at length about it here.  I also love how the story extends itself with the cow bringing three glasses of milk on the last page.  And I think it goes beyond math to argument and logic.  They discuss combining the squirrels’ claims to the cookies, eliminating the alligator’s claim, and allocating the cookies based on proportion.

WE ARE GROWING, on the other hand, has a theme that is entirely different, but also eternally relevant.  Whether it’s adolescents whose bodies are not keeping up with their peers or college graduates who still have no idea what they want to do with their lives, I think we can all relate to the feeling of being a work-in-progress.

Naming the protagonist Walt (ostensibly a literary allusion to Walt Whitman’s LEAVES OF GRASS) is a nice touch, and I like the integration of the lesson on superlatives.

I’ll admit that I was initially drawn to WE ARE GROWING more because of its humor, but I’ve come to appreciate THE COOKIE FIASCO just as much.  In case you’d like to look at these books through some different lenses.  Patrick Gall reviewed these books for Calling Caldecott here, while Amy Seto Forester reviews them here for Guessing Geisel.

Filed under: Book Discussion, Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Jonathan Hunt

Jonathan Hunt is the Coordinator of Library Media Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. He served on the 2006 Newbery committee, and has also judged the Caldecott Medal, the Printz Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. You can reach him at hunt_yellow@yahoo.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

November 2019

Music, Race, and the American Dream: Female voices will not be silenced.

by Jonathan Hunt

November 2019

Last, Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles.

by Jonathan Hunt

October 2019

Pet by akwaeke emezi

by Jonathan Hunt

October 2019

Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

by Jonathan Hunt

October 2019

Graphic Novels are here to stay.

by Jonathan Hunt

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Notes on January 2023

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

The Archie Encyclopedia | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

FREEWATER wins the Newbery Medal, live reactions from Heavy Medal bloggers

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Cindy Crushes Programming: My Top Ten Craft Supplies

by Cindy Shutts

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

A Long Time Coming: Angeline Boulley's 'Firekeeper's Daughter' Takes 2022 Printz Award

Children’s Publishing World Reacts to Michaela Goade's History-Making Caldecott Medal, Rest of the YMA Winners

2021 Youth Media Awards Winners

SLJ Reviews of the 2023 Youth Media Award Winners

Fantasy Award Contenders Layer Identity and Imagination | Pondering Printz

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy says

    January 11, 2017 at 7:29 pm

    Jonathan, it is clear to me that you don’t want to leave any stone unturned in this year’s discussion. You have covered books from so many genres on Heavy Medal this season and my knowledge has deepened from the posts and discussion. I’m still pondering the rejection of HIRED GIRL and choice of ON MARKET STREET in 2016 and think I will be for a long time to come.

    • Jonathan Hunt says

      January 12, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      Thanks, Judy. We’ve always tried to consider as wide a range of contenders and sleepers as possible. I’m glad you appreciate the experience. I often think that many people just want a parade of middle grade novels . . .

      • Mr. H says

        January 12, 2017 at 2:25 pm

        I especially appreciate your emphasis on nonfiction texts. I can say that through the past few years, my interest in nonfiction for kids has increased quite a bit. This site is probably to thank for that!

        Not sure I ever would have read, or enjoyed, a poetry book like WHEN GREEN BECOMES TOMATOES if it wasn’t for this site either.

        Honestly, I would certainly enjoy a parade of middle grade novels, but agree that the range of text is necessary.

  2. DaNae says

    January 12, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    And just the best straight line ever: “As exciting as watching grass grow.” I kept hearing my first and second graders read this over and over again this week. I giggled every time, but it was delivered with enthusiasm by Gerald and the reader. So clever.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Other Mock Newbery Sites

    • Anderson’s Bookshops
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Reads Mock Newbery
    • Northport-East Northport PL
    • Rhode Island OLIS
  • Resources

    • Jen J's Starred Reviews Spreadsheet
    • Newbery Manual
    • Newbery Medal & Honor Books
    • Newbery Terms & Criteria
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023