We Are in a Book!

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems
Illustrated by Mo Willems
Published by Hyperion Books for Children
2010

     It's been a while since I've written about Elephant and Piggie, two of my favorite characters.  I just couldn't miss the opportunity to share with you We Are in a Book!.  It is simply brilliant. I love when books play with metafiction and this one does it in such a fun way that I ended up enjoying it as much as my son and my students.
     Elephant and Piggie notice that somebody is watching them: the reader.  That's when they decide to have fun with the reader by making him say whatever they want to aloud, in this case, "banana."  The best part comes when Elephant and Piggie realized that if they are in fact in a book, then that book will soon come to an end. And then, what will happen to them?
     The format of the Elephant and Piggie books, with its cartoon speech bubbles, is perfect for early readers.  The text is short, quick witted, and fast paced.  As I've said before in previous blogs, I've yet to meet a kid who doesn't love those two characters.  They are great books to read aloud, for partner reader, and even for quick reader's theater in the classroom. Check them out!