Tandem Insights

Elephant and Piggie Books

Get ready for the funniest books of the year! I was audibly cracking up the first time I read these, in the publisher’s booth at the ALA exhibit. Mo Willems has created the ultimate early reader series. Lovable characters, humorous stories, and brilliant, deceptively simple illustrations make these irresistible.

Elephant Gerald (Get it? Say it aloud, and think of jazz music) and Piggie are best friends. Piggie has a generally positive outlook on things, while Gerald tends toward pessimism. Each book in the series follows a conversation they are having with each other. These books are great choices for reading along with young kids -- have the adult do one character and the child the other.

Check out Piggie’s facial expression when she shows her party invitation to Gerald in my personal favorite of the four books, I Am Invited to a Party! (pg. 6). The characters’ emotions are impeccably conveyed in Willems’ pencil-and-ink illustrations. That’s what makes these characters and their stories so endearing. If it were up to me, one of these books would definitely win the Geisel Award this year.

View these titles in the Tandem Library Books Online Bookstore

Book of the Week: Hiromi's Hands

This well-researched picture book biography is especially credible due to the fact that Lynne Barasch knows her subject personally: Hiromi Suzuki is a childhood friend of her daughter.

Not so long ago, Hiromi’s father was a hardworking chef at the family’s Japanese restaurant in New York City. He began taking Hiromi with him to the fish market when she expressed interest in the business and the time-honored traditions of sushi preparation. Itamae-san, professional sushi chefs, historically have always been male. “People thought a woman's soft, warm hands would spoil the fish” (Barasch).Growing up, Hiromi respected this tradition but didn’t let it dissuade her from her life’s ambition. Learning from her father, who encouraged her despite the enormous obstacles he knew she would face, Hiromi developed her skills and remained focused on her goal.

Hiromi’s father, impressed by her talent and devotion, gave her a job at the family restaurant. The word got out and soon Hiromi was a celebrated itamae-san in her own right. This story, illustrated with soft watercolors, will fascinate readers of all ages and serve as an inspiration for pursuing one’s dreams. Barasch provides an author’s note as well as sushi terms and techniques to supplement the story.

View this book in the Tandem Library Books Online Bookstore