Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2007 Willems has already proven himself a master at expressing much with great economy of line, color, and text, and this is truer than ever in these two easy readers featuring good friends Gerald the Elephant and Piggie the Piggie. In Today, Piggie decides, despite Gerald’s sardonic skepticism, that she is going to fly. After a misfired attempt, she accepts help from a bird, and several spreads later, Gerald spots Piggie in mid-air: “You . . . you are flying!” Gerald gushes. “My friend can fly! She can fly!” That’s when Piggie reveals that she is merely hanging from the flying bird. In My Friend, Piggie executes a series of heartfelt attempts to cheer up sad Gerald, dressing up as a cowboy, a clown, and a robot. When Piggie arrives as Piggie, Gerald recalls the wonderful series of visitors he had, explaining that while he loves cowboys, clowns, and robots, it only made him sadder because his “best friend was not there to see it” with him. There is something decidedly Bert-and-Ernie-esque about the friendship dynamic in these two short tales: Piggie possesses unfettered enthusiasm, confidence, and spirit whereas Gerald offers a despondent, wet-blanket take on the world that is lifted by the joyful input of his friend. The vocabulary is controlled without feeling repetitious, and the conceptual simplicity—the stories consist entirely of character dialogue and action, no setting, background, description—allows young readers to really focus. Both stories offer a fair dose of dry and ironic wit that’s pitched effectively to the young readership. The illustrations stick to a simple palette, with simply lined figures mono- or self-colored against wide open white backdrops, and the tiniest of line details carries enormous emotional weight in the friends’ expressions. As is typically the case with Willems, the illustrations are well coded for emotion, and novice readers will find these stories an excellent exercise in reading with expression. Fans of Willems both young and old will enthusiastically welcome Gerald and Piggie to the world of early readers—let’s hope there are many more adventures to follow. HM - Copyright 2007 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 05/01/2007 K-Gr 3-In these two easy-to-read books, Willems introduces two best friends. Gerald is a slightly stodgy, bespectacled elephant with a stumpy, downturned trunk. Piggie is more daring and whimsical, and, like many friends, the two complement one another. In My Friend Is Sad, Piggie tries hard to cheer her dejected friend. She disguises herself as a cowboy, clown, and a robot, but Gerald doesn't recognize her and is sad because she isn't there to enjoy the fun. Without missing a beat, Piggie points out that he needs new glasses. In Today I Will Fly, Piggie announces her intention to do so to her skeptical pal. In the end, though, Gerald is making adventurous plans of his own. With just a few tweaks of his expressive lines, Willems creates engaging characters. The stories move briskly, with a minimal word count and touches of whimsy throughout. Fans of the author's previous books should check the endpapers for a cameo appearance of his familiar pigeon. These simple, humorous stories will sound just the right note for beginning readers.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2007 *Starred Review* Graphic-novel influences have reached into most areas of children’s book publishing; here, they crop up in a classic genre—the friendship-duo easy reader—and chalk up yet another success for two-time Caldecott Honor winner Willems. The basic approach is familiar from Willems’ previous books, especially Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (2003). It’s as if each page were one frame of a comic strip: characters zip in and out of white space, proffer speech-bubble remarks, and express emotion through spot-on body language. In My Friend Is Sad, upbeat, outgoing Piggie cavorts to cheer up depressed Elephant, whose doldrums are obvious from his furrowed brow and drooping, stovepipelike trunk. Not having recognized his costumed pal, the myopic elephant remains sad because Piggie missed out on the fun. Accessible, appealing, and full of authentic emotions about what makes friendships tick, this will put a contemporary shine on easy-reader collections and give Willems’ many fans—whatever their age or reading level—two more characters to love. (Vying for their affections is that irrepressible pigeon, who, still utterly in character, finds his way onto the endpapers.) - Copyright 2007 Booklist.