Watch Me Throw the Ball! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) [Hardcover]

Mo Willems (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | 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 Watch Me Throw the Ball!,  Gerald is determined to teach Piggie that ball-throwing is serious business... but Piggie is just as determined to have serious fun.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"These books will easily take their place alongside Seuss and Eastman as classics in the beginning-reader genre." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Mo Willems is the New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of picture books and early readers that have changed the face of children's literature. He has been awarded a Caldecott Honor on three occasions, and two of his Elephant and Piggie early readers have received a Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal. His most recent picture book is Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, of which the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books wrote: "Willems continues to be a master at conveying an amazing amount of emotion and humor using ... minimal elements" in a starred review.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 3rd Print edition (March 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423113489
• ISBN-13: 978-1423113485
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Elephants > Fiction
  • #32 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Elephants
  • #53 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review by Jenna, May 20, 2011

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Watch Me Throw the Ball! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Hardcover)

This book is about Elephant and Piggie. Gerald throws the ball and Piggy likes to have a lot of fun. Piggie tells Gerald he threw the ball all the way around the world! I like this book because Piggie likes to have fun. I like books by Mo Willems because they are silly!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of the Books!, March 20, 2011

By 

Acacia "echostecho" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Watch Me Throw the Ball! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Hardcover)

Out of all the Elephant and Piggie stories this one is probably my favorite, probably because I was such a high strung, shy child and this is something that I myself could have benefited from hearing. In fact, I probably still could. As for the story its self I had so much fun with this one that as soon as we finished it was promptly read again and again, the lesson about the ball easily extended beyond the reading lesson.

Gerald has a ball, and as usual once Piggie wants to join in he happily lets her do so but not before he attempts to make a huge fuss out of nothing. Throwing a ball is hard work! One must study for years! But Piggie is impatient and ends up throwing the ball before he's done explaining and unfortunately it doesn't go as far as when Gerald threw it. Even more bewildering is the fact that Piggie doesn't seem to care that her ball didn't even go three feet. The reason? Because the most important part of throwing the ball was just to have fun of course! Zipping off she leaves Gerald to contemplate these words of wisdom which ultimately inspire him to break his own, incredibly serious and overly complicated rules and follow in her footsteps much to his delight.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New favorite series, January 25, 2011

By 

K. Halling - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Watch Me Throw the Ball! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Hardcover)

My whole family loves Piggie and Elephant! From our 10yr old to our 2yr old, they are pulled into their comedy, drama, and simple problem solving. My kids are able to relate their own relationships with that of Gerald and Piggie and see them in a funny light. They take friendship more seriously because they watch these characters disagree and stay friends. Piggie's enthusiam and Gerald's sincerity are a wonderful mix. My husband, I, and our 4 children HIGHLY recommend this entire series! Mo Willems: you are brillant!