Elephants Cannot Dance! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Three-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Mixed
Summary: Elephant tries to learn how to dance but is convinced that elephants cannot dance. He tries and tries and then gives up. Finally, some fans ask him to teach them the 'Elephant,' and he finds confidence in teaching his own dance.
Review: We usually like Elephant and Piggie books because of their simplicity, but we didn't care for this one much. My son just didn't get it. He doesn't understand yet that dances are called certain names like the 'Elephant.' I tried to explain this to him, but he still didn't understand. I wasn't crazy about it because the elephant was so determined that he couldn't do something. Being a huge fan of the Little Engine That Could, I thought this was a step backwards (even though the elephant tries to teach his own dance at the end). We're both much more a fan of other Elephant and Piggie Books like ...
I Love My New Toy! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Three-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Elephant plays with Piggie's new toy. He throws it up in the air, and when it falls to the ground it breaks apart. Piggie is very upset by this. After awhile, another animal character points out that the toy is supposed to break apart. Piggie sheepishly asks Elephant if he wants to play with the toy again. Elephant say that he doesn't ... he'd rather play with Piggie.
Review: This book got an immediate "again" request. I think my son liked it because of the simple language ("I am mad and sad.") and the clear emotions felt by the characters. The artwork is simple but clearly expresses the emotions of the characters. My son can relate to this as well as to the subject matter of having a toy break. I liked the book because of the realistic scenario and the warm ending in which Elephant would rather play with Piggie than the toy. I'm going to keep a look out for more books in this series.
No comments:
Post a Comment