Let's Go for a Drive! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) [Hardcover]

Mo Willems (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 2, 2012 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Series: Elephant and Piggie

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In Let's Go for a Drive! Gerald and Piggie want to hit the road! But the best-laid plans of pigs and elephants often go awry.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Just in case your collection needed a little more gray and pink, here comes the latest mini drama of Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig. “Piggie!” shouts Gerald. “I have a great idea! Let’s go for a drive!” Piggie’s down with that idea, and so begins a pattern. First, Gerald thinks of something they’ll need: “First, we need a map.” Second, Piggie runs to get the item. Third, Gerald speaks to the reader about why the idea was such a darned good one. And, fourth, Piggie returns, and the friends freak out with excitement: “Map! Map! Mappy-map-map!” The laugh factor here will depend on readers’ tolerance for repetition. Still, though, even as we approach 20 books in the series, it’s hard to imagine getting sick of these two simply yet expertly drafted goofballs. The map, designed with scraps of an actual map, adds a new visual interest, and the ending, as always, is perfect. But you were going to buy this anyway, right? Preschool-Grade 2. --Daniel Kraus

About the Author

Mo Willems (www.pigeonpresents.com), a number one New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, has been awarded a Caldecott Honor on three occasions (for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity). Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was also an inaugural inductee into the Indies Choice Picture Book Hall of Fame. And his celebrated Elephant & Piggie early reader series has been awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal on two occasions (for There Is a Bird on Your Head! and Are You Ready to Play Outside?) as well as two Honors (for We Are in a Book! and I Broke My Trunk!). Other favorites include Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and City Dog, Country Frog, illustrated by Jon J Muth.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423164822
• ISBN-13: 978-1423164821
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.4 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Pigs
  • #2 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Elephants
  • #7 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Friendship

More About the Author

A three-time Caldecott Honor winner for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, Mo Willems has also won two Geisel Medals for There is a Bird on Your Head! and Are You Ready to Play Outside? And his books are perennial New York Times bestsellers. Before he turned to children's books, Mo was a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he won six Emmy Awards. Mo lives with his family in Massachusetts.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Drivey-Drive Driiiive! October 4, 2012

By shaeflay

Format:Hardcover

Most Elephant and Piggie book reviews are biased. Mo Willems has no shortage of fans when it comes to his series of children's books. So yes: I am a fan and I am biased.

"Let's Go for a Drive!" is the lastest E&P adventure, where we see Piggie and Gerald the Elephant doing some all important road trip preparation. The two pals spend most of the story going through their list in a happy-go-lucky-song-and-dance fashion, for example: "MAP!" "I have a map!" "Map! Map! Mappy-map-map!" and so on. The repetition and overall silliness of the two make this book (like any other Willems book) a great read aloud for story times as well as beginning readers. When children and adults are drawn in by the enthusiasm of the characters, it's hard NOT to enjoy reading this book. And to have kids be excited to read? Well, that's just awesome.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Love Mo Willems but this book is kind of meh October 29, 2012

By Meg

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My toddler has a lot of Mo Willems books and loves most of them. This one, I have to say, disappoints because of the expectation that it will be about going for a drive. After all, there's a picture of Elephant and Piggie in a car right on the cover. Plus the title. But the whole book is about planning and thinking about going for a drive. There's a lot of repetition ("Mappity map map!") that feels...hate to say it...a little lazy. No driving ever happens in the book, no trip is taken, and no transportation occurs. My toddler was disappointed and so was I. Generally I appreciate the simplicity and wit of the Elephant and Piggie books, but this one didn't work for me.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Mo Willems October 5, 2012

By Evelyn C. Conkright

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My grandson loves all of his Mo Willems books! I haven't sent this one to him, but I've read it a couple of times, and I love it, so I KNOW he will too. Mo Willems has such a knack for telling a complete story with few words, and the simplest of illustrations. My grandson can always read the stories with great inflection...it is so easy for children to do because of the illustrations. Gerald and Piggy are good friends with such different personalities...good examples for all children!