Mo WillemsA Big Guy Took My Ball! (an Elephant and Piggie Book)

A mi hija de 6 años le encanta hacer las voces de elefante y cerdita. Ama todos los libros de Gerald and piggie!!

LOVE THESE BOOKS! I'm an esl teacher and my kids love this series. Laugh out loud funny for the kids (english or french)

I initially was not drawn to these books because I wasn't crazy about the illustrations, but we have now become big Mo fans around here. Good lessons told in a fun way.

Small children love it, older children find it amusing - a joy for adults to read with children. I work as a volunteer with reluctant boy readers - the books from this series are the only ones they actually ask to read. 'We are Being Read' from this series is the overall favourite.

If you're unfamiliar with author/illustrator Mo Willems "Elephant & Piggie" series, please do yourself a favor and pick up a few. (I'll recommend my favorites at the end of the review.) His stories are often clever (a rarity in children's books), heartwarming, funny, and sweet. This book has each of those elements on display.Elephant Gerald is a pragmatic but passionate realist. Piggie is an effervescent joy. They're best friends. (Aw...)In this book, Piggie runs to Gerald stating a "big guy" has taken her ball. Gerald, also a "big guy" heroically seeks to retrieve said ball. He's in for more than one surprise.Mo Willems effortlessly tackles several childhood issues in this book without the audience ever once catching a whiff of parable or preaching. There's playground territory (who gets the ball?), big guys vs. little guys, insecurities, acceptance, and seeing beyond differences to get along. ("Adult authors" spend hundreds of pages without ever coming to as graceful a conclusion as Mr. Willems does in a 5-minute picture book.) His illustrations are simple line drawings that contain brilliant expressiveness that will be enjoyed by the adult readers at least as much as the children. (This is, again, par for the course for the series.)Elephant & Piggie books are perfect for joint reading with a young reader. The cartoon-style thought-bubble dialogue makes for easy back-and-forth scripting, adding an element of interactivity to each book. My little reader will often say, "You can be Gerald. I'll be Piggie." It's some of the most effortless fun we've had reading together.While this is not my favorite book in the Elephant & Piggie series, I still like it A LOT, worthy of a 5-star rating. It's not a "favorite" only because Mr. Willems has set the bar so high with some of his prior efforts. (See We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie Book), Should I Share My Ice Cream? (An Elephant and Piggie Book), and I Am Invited to a Party! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) for some really spectacular children's literature!) "A Big Guy Took My Ball!" is still head-and-shoulders above most of the competition.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!