Waiting Is Not Easy!-An Elephant and Piggie Book

Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler-heck, every human: "Waiting is not easy!" When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that he has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the "surprise is a surprise." Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it's big, it's pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on his basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty "GROAN!" Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. "WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY! And for WHAT!?" Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges "was worth the wait." Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can't help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald's elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait. A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends. (Early reader. 6-8) Kirkus" PRAISE FOR THE ELEPHANT & PIGGIE SERIES*"Accessible, appealing, and full of authetic emotions about what makes friendships tick, these titles will put a contemporary shine on easy reader collections." "Booklist (starred review)"" PRAISE FOR THE ELEPHANT & PIGGIE SERIES *"Accessible, appealing, and full of authetic emotions about what makes friendships tick, these titles will put a contemporary shine on easy reader collections." "Booklist (starred review)"" *"These masterful mini-dramas will delight and amuse early-reader and picture-book audiences, alike."--School Library Journal (starred review) PRAISE FOR THE ELEPHANT & PIGGIE SERIES *"Accessible, appealing, and full of authetic emotions about what makes friendships tick, these titles will put a contemporary shine on easy reader collections."--Booklist (starred review) *"These books will easily take their place alongside Seuss and Eastman as classics in the beginning-reader genre."--The Bulletin (starred review)