Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Starred Review Graphic novel influences have reached into most areas of children's book publishing; here, they crop up in a classic genre e friendship-duo easy reader d chalk up yet another success for two-time Caldecott Honor winner Willems. The basic approach is familiar from Willems' previous books, especially Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (2003). It's as if each page were one frame of a comic strip, characters zip in and out of white space, proffer speech-bubble remarks, and express emotion through spot-on body language. Today I Will Fly juxtaposes Piggie's optimistic ambitions with stodgier Elephant's naysaying. There are also plenty of quirky details to reward repeated readings, including the charmingly incongruous mystery of Piggie's real name (Elephant's, we learn, is Gerald). Accessible, appealing, and full of authentic emotions about what makes friendships tick, this will put a contemporary shine on easy reader collections. Vying for their affections is that irrepressible pigeon, who, still utterly in character, finds his way onto the endpapers.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Willems (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!) introduces two best friends in the paper-over-board Elephant & Piggie books: a naysaying gray bespectacled pachyderm and an optimistic pink porker, whose opposing temperaments serve as the bases for sparring and mutual understanding alike. When Piggie declares, "<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Today I Will Fly!," Elephant responds, in <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Green Eggs and Ham fashion: "You will not fly today./ You will not fly tomorrow./ .../ <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">You will never fly!" "I will try!" Piggie asserts. She gets assistance from a mock-ferocious bulldog, whose barking does help her to jump (but not fly), and an amiable pelican who demonstrates how friends can lend a hand (er, wing). Energetic Piggie dons a series of costumes (cowboy, clown, robot) to boost sulky Elephant's spirits in <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">My Friend Is Sad. Elephant does not cheer up until Piggie shows up <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">sans disguise: "I saw a <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">cowboy!... <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">But you were not there to see him!" Elephant laments. "I need my friends!" "You need new glasses...." Piggie whispers in an aside to readers, ending on a sly note. Willems treats each page (or spread) as one panel, so the action unfolds briskly against white backgrounds. He provides the emphatic dialogue in varying font sizes and keeps the design details simple but effective: Piggie's words appear in powdery rose-colored voice bubbles, Elephant's in pale blue-gray. Nevertheless, even inexperienced readers will not be busy long, whether or not they pause to chuckle at the dueling characters' changing facial expressions. Compared to Willems's more nuanced character studies, these episodes feel all too brief. Still, readers will likely clamor for more. Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Apr.)

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Willems adds two characters to his repertoire: gloomy elephant Gerald and his upbeat best friend, Piggie. Each book combines an easy-to-follow story, uncluttered illustrations, and spare speech-balloon text. Willems conveys volumes with an expertly placed eyebrow or down-turned mouth; the color-coded speech balloons suggest shared-reading opportunities for pals of any age or disposition.

School Library Journal Starred Review

K-Gr 3-In these two easy-to-read books, Willems introduces two best friends. Gerald is a slightly stodgy, bespectacled elephant with a stumpy, downturned trunk. Piggie is more daring and whimsical, and, like many friends, the two complement one another. In My Friend Is Sad, Piggie tries hard to cheer her dejected friend. She disguises herself as a cowboy, clown, and a robot, but Gerald doesn't recognize her and is sad because she isn't there to enjoy the fun. Without missing a beat, Piggie points out that he needs new glasses. In Today I Will Fly, Piggie announces her intention to do so to her skeptical pal. In the end, though, Gerald is making adventurous plans of his own. With just a few tweaks of his expressive lines, Willems creates engaging characters. The stories move briskly, with a minimal word count and touches of whimsy throughout. Fans of the author's previous books should check the endpapers for a cameo appearance of his familiar pigeon. These simple, humorous stories will sound just the right note for beginning readers.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.