Should I Share My Ice Cream? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) [Hardcover]

Mo Willems (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: June 14, 2011 | 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 Should I Share My Ice Cream? Gerald has a big decision to make. But will he make it in time?

  

Using vocabulary that is perfect for beginning readers (and vetted by an early-learning specialist), Mo Willems has crafted a funny story about the challenges of doing the right thing. Fans of the Geisel Award-winning duo will eagerly eat it up!

Editorial Reviews

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?). Other favorites include Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and City Dog, Country Frog, illustrated by Jon J Muth.

Mo began his career on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 1 edition (June 14, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423143434
• ISBN-13: 978-1423143437
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.3 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Elephants
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Manners
  • #7 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Pigs

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

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Oh Mo!!! June 18, 2011

By Anna

Format:Hardcover

As a first grade teacher I am always first in line to get anything Mo has written. My children love him and let's face it, I have a crush on him too!

"Should I Share My Ice Cream?" is a fine addition to the Piggie and Elephant library. This story is mostly told from Elephant's perspective as he ponders the merits of sharing ice cream. As always, Mo fined a fine solution in the end.

A good story, but not as amazing as some. In my opinion (and the many many first graders who have read them with me) the best are:

I'm Invited to a Party
There is a Bird on your Head
We Are in a Book

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An ode to Elephant, Piggie, and Mo Willems! June 14, 2011

By Amy Phipps VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gerald has a delicious ice cream cone... should he gobble it up or share it with Piggie? By the time Gerald's conscience finally wins out over his stomach, alas, his ice cream has melted! But all is not lost. Piggie comes to the rescue just in time for the two friends to share not only ice cream but the joy of true friendship as well.

My 4 year-old daughter and I love all of the Elephant and Piggie books. It never fails to amaze me how complex and entertaining a story Mo Willems can create from such simple, insightful pictures and so few beginning reader words. This book isn't laugh-till-you-can-hardly-breathe funny as some of his other works are - in fact, my daughter was almost reduced to tears the first time she saw Gerald staring gloomily at his melted ice cream cone - but if you've come to love Elephant and Piggie as much as we have, you won't want to miss this touching tale of the unique bond between two adorable friends. Sweeter than an ice cream sundae... with an illustration of a pigeon ice cream cone in the back as the cherry on top!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharing? Yes Please. July 17, 2011

By Acacia

Format:Hardcover

What's that you say? You think a child's picture book about an elephant and a pig with an ice cream cone should be something an adult should read? Slow down the crazy train there! We all know adult reading levels have dropped off in recent years but come on.

But no, really! This is a book you really should read. Hear me out.

Looking back I realize how fortunate I really was. Sharing and generosity were things that were taught to me from a very young age and again were hammered into me from school, first at my small catholic school (enforced by sour faced nuns with rulers) and then later on at the arts academy I attended (out of necessity). Later on when I got out in the "real world" I came to realize just how selfish most people are, how selfishness comes unthinkably to most people, easy as batting an eye and twice as quick. Often times people don't even consider the needs and wants of others in their daily routine and this is a shame - not only in the moral sense but also in the personal. For if you don't think about others who's going to think about you? When you're a kid you have others to look after you, your parents, your teachers, the government. But once you're an adult the jig is up so to speak. There are no safety nets in the adult world, and its in times of need that you have to rely not only on yourself but on the help of those nearest and dearest to you.

This is the lesson Willems so lovingly illustrates here. The scene where Gerald finally looks down and realizes that while he was agonizing over wither or not to share so long that his ice cream has melted, leaving him in a sticky puddle of his own mess is priceless.... He falls to his knees, chin wibbling, eyes tearing up and then on the next page we can clearly see that the cold shock of realization has set in. "I blew it" he states. And that's a feeling most adults can probably relate to quite well. You messed up the presentation, you didn't mail the check in time, you ignored the clicking noise the car was making, you never returned that phone call. You waited and now the Big Bad has finally gone down. And while no one can solve your problems for you, the ice cream cone having melted so to speak, having those you love around you to offer support undoubtedly helps in time of need. And so our story finally ends with Piggie coming in to share her own good fortune, and while things might not all be solved, the book ends with the two friends leaning against each other, happy to show each other that they are loved and feel loved in return.

It's true that there's a child in my life. But this book stays on the shelf in my room. Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Piggy and Elephant title! June 20, 2011

By Ulyyf

Format:Hardcover

There isn't any P & E that I dislike, of course (because they are awesome), but out of all of them this has to be in the top three. I love it! Easy to read, and I actually burst out laughing in the bookstore before I bought it. Definitely worth having on your bookcase, especially if your child is learning to read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Family Favorite May 13, 2013

By M. Nelson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My little one has this book memorized and his younger sister loves to have us read it to her! We read this book all the time. This series is a family favorite.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I rate this high December 23, 2012

By marie

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My 5 year old grandson loves this story and all the Mo Willems stories. He wants me to read them over and over again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Joys of Sharing July 27, 2011

By Mark Baker HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Gerald the Elephant has just purchased his favorite flavor of ice cream (form a penguin, of course). As he's about to take his first bite, he begins to think that maybe his best friend Piggie will enjoy some ice cream as well. But he really wants it all. What decision will he reach? And what will happen if he takes too long to do it?

This was a bit longer different from the other Elephant and Piggie books I've read because Gerald gets almost all the attention. But the rest of the book fits right at home in the series. The illustrations are simple and the story is told completely through dialog.

What I think I appreciated most about this book was the lesson. It truly shows the rewards of sharing without lecturing us once.

While there are some amusing bits to the story, this one will definitely pull on your heart strings a bit more than some of the others.

Ultimately, this is a book you'll want to share with the kids in your life over and over again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book! June 5, 2013

By Kristen M Dahlstrom

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great for character education sharing/caring and doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. My daughter loves this book!