A Big Guy Took My Ball! (Elephant & Piggie)

by Mo Willems (Author) Mo Willems (Illustrator)

A Big Guy Took My Ball! (Elephant & Piggie)
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Piggie is happy when she finds a ball, but is soon devastated when a BIG guy takes it from her. What will she and Gerald do?! Elephant & Piggie fans can find out in the pair's 19th adventure! Full color.
Select format:
Hardcover
$10.99

More books in the series - See All

Other series you might like

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--Once again Willems observes truths about human behavior through the eyes of Gerald, an elephant, and Piggie. The premise this time is that Piggie's recently acquired ball has been snatched by some unknown creature, one so big that Piggie begs Gerald to intervene. But Gerald's perceived power and genuine desire to help his smaller friend cannot provide him with sufficient courage once he sees that he'll have to confront an enormous whale. Outward appearance is rarely a true indicator of inner feelings, though, and the same reality is reflected in the whale, who turns out to be a gentle giant who is remarkably polite. Size should never be a factor in determining friendship, and Willems's two pals are happy to have a new playmate. The story engages readers with delightfully familiar cartoon illustrations and invites them to follow it independently by reading the speech bubbles. This title is a wonderful addition to the series; it's particularly useful for discussions of inside and outside traits, as well as the tricky topic of threesomes.--Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Gerald the elephant and Piggie return with another playground psychodrama, this one with a twist. Piggie just loved the big ball she just found-"it was so fun!"-but the fun was short-lived, as the titular "big guy came-and-and-and- / HE TOOK MY BALL!" Piggie's distress is so great Gerald is literally bowled over. "That is not right!" he declares. "What makes those big guys think they are so big?!" "Their size?" suggests Piggie. Gerald stalks off the page to give the big guy what-for, but the big guy is "very BIG." In fact, the big guy is a land-going whale, who first thanks Piggie for finding his "little ball" and then laments that no one will play with him because of his extreme size: "LITTLE GUYS HAVE ALL THE FUN." (The whale speaks in all-uppercase letters, though the font changes with his mood; the previous sentence is printed in tiny, all-capped type.) This morality play in false assumptions and relativity unfurls with Willems' customary command of visual pacing; gags are spaced just right to keep the pages turning and readers giggling. His deft exploitation of comic-book conventions sets speech balloons to overlapping and appropriately varying in size. Nineteen books and five Geisel medals or honors along, Elephant and Piggie are still delivering funny, emotionally perceptive stories for just-emerging readers. As the big guy says: "BIG FUN!" (Early reader. 5-8) - Kirkus
Mo Willems
Mo Willems is a six-time Emmy Award-winning writer and animator for Sesame Streetand the creator of Cartoon Network's Sheep in the BigCity. He is the author of groundbreaking picture books, including; Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Caldecott Honor winner 2004); Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Caldecott Honor winner 2003); Don't Let the Pigeon Stay up Late!; The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!; Time to Say "Please"!; Leonardo, the Terrible Monster; and Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct. Mo lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

same as above
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781423174912
Lexile Measure
270
Guided Reading Level
G
Publisher
Hyperion Books for Children
Publication date
May 21, 2013
Series
Elephant & Piggie
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV002200 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Pigs
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV002080 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Elephants
Library of Congress categories
Pigs
Swine
Friendship
Animals
Elephants
Whales
Play
Cybils
Finalist 2013 - 2013
Geisel Medal (Dr. Seuss)
Honor Book 2014 - 2014
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
Recommended 2014 - 2014

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!