You Gotta Love Mo!

TODAY I WILL FLY! by Mo Willems
No AR Quiz Available

Gerald and Piggy have a definite opposites attract kind of chemistry to their “best-friendness.” (I realize that’s not a word, but it was the only thing that fit.) Gerald is the epitome of carefulness and seriousness, while Piggy is lighthearted and happy—always. In this story, Piggy is determined to fly and Gerald is determined to convince her that she can’t. When Gerald says, “You need help,” he means mental help, but piggy takes it literally and goes off in search of actual help flying. In the end, piggy does end up “flying” with the assistance of a friendly bird and some string. Gerald is so impressed that he says that tomorrow, he’ll fly! The expressions on the faces of Willams’ characters always capture their personalities perfectly. When reading this book, I could actually “hear” the condescending tone of Gerald’s voice along with the “glass is always full” sound of sweet Piggy.


On an added note, I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Mo Willems, and the Young Adult book conference at Sam Houston State. He had a group of volunteers--including author Joan Bauer--do an oral reading of this book-it was a riot!




THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG!
No AR Quiz Available

The pigeon is back and this time he’s found a hot dog. Just as he’s about to sink his beak into its juicy deliciousness, a clever duckling pops into the story and starts asking all kinds of questions about hot dogs, and is obviously trying to get the pigeon to let him have the tasty treat on a bun. Eventually the pigeon and the duckling end up happily sharing the hot dog. This book would be a fantastic read-aloud with almost any age. I shared it with my husband and kids and we all chuckled through the whole story. The most important element of reading this book, though, is the illustrations—without the illustrations it would not be near as enjoyable. It’s hard to put into words the way Willams’ illustrations capture the characters’ emotions—the pictures are very simple, yet so descriptive. One of my favorite parts of Willams’ illustrations is the way he puts a big black smudge as a “thought bubble” to express a characters’ disgust



DON'T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE! by Mo Willems
AR Level: 1.1 Points: .5
Voice Quiz Available

This book opens with the reader being given directions to not let the pigeon stay up late. Of course, as soon as the first page is turned, there’s that crafty, loveable pigeon announcing that he’s not even tired. He then follows with all kinds of reasons and excuses for why he shouldn’t be made to go to bed, even though it’s obvious he’s getting more tired by the minute. In the end, the pigeon falls asleep right in the middle of talking. The book ends with the reader being thanked for a job well done. As in all of Willams’ books, the illustrations make this a fantastic reading experience. I love the way the characters pull the reader into the book by talking directly to them.