One day a little pig appears in the frog pond and all he can say is “ribbit!”. This confuses the frogs. They demand to know if he is making fun of them. Does he think he’s a frog?
Word gets out of the pig who ribbits like a frog and soon the pond is full of forest animals. They argue as to why the pig ribbits and why would any animal would want to be a frog. They decide to ask the wise old beetle what this pig is doing in the pond.
He suggests the pig wants to make new friends. This never occurred to the animals. By the time they return – the pig has disappeared. Only to be found making friends with birds in the tree.
Why I like it:
This book has a sweet lesson without being hit over the head. The fact that this pig ribbits makes both my kids laugh. And we all like the illustrations.
This is a delightfully random and whimsical book. It makes no sense. Therefore – your kids will love it.
Barnett pairs simple, silly text with Pizzoli’s simple but effective illustrations. I love the zany in this book: “I’m smiling like a tuna.” (George: “Tuna’s don’t smile!” followed by raucous laughter), “You’re sweet like a banker.” (George: “WHAT?!?”) or “You’re funny like a fossil.”
Why I like it
Anything that is random or weird – I like. I mean where did Barnett come up with a banker that is sweet? Is it something his kid said? He definitely gets in the mind of a child who can pair things together that we would never do as adults.
And I love anything Pizzoli illustrates. He is a family favourite.
My friend Liz is the one who introduced us to Gerald and Piggie and we haven’t been the same since!
Willems is obviously a genius so any book he writes is quirky and wonderful. If you haven’t read them yet this is what you need to know: this series, which has about 30 books, is about Gerald the elephant and his best friend Piggie. They have very simple text and images so although long, both my kids (20 months and almost 4) like them.
In this one, it’s Pig Day – a celebration of all things pig. You eat pig food, play pig games and dance pig dances. Piggie is very excited about her day but will Gerald feel left out?
Why I like it
As stated above, anything Mo Willems does if fabulous. We love this series. There is always a lesson – but well hidden in humour and fun. And these books really showcase what makes a happy friendship.
Hope you enjoy these picks! And as always,
Happy Reading,
Curious in Wonderland
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