He falls to his knees, chin wibbling, eyes tearing up and then on the next page we can clearly see that the cold shock of realization has set in. The scene where Gerald finally looks down and realizes that while he was agonizing over wither or not to share so long that his ice cream has melted, leaving him in a sticky puddle of his own mess is priceless.
This is the lesson Willems so lovingly illustrates here. There are no safety nets in the adult world, and its in times of need that you have to rely not only on yourself but on the help of those nearest and dearest to you. But once you're an adult the jig is up so to speak. For if you don't think about others who's going to think about you? When you're a kid you have others to look after you, your parents, your teachers, the government. Often times people don't even consider the needs and wants of others in their daily routine and this is a shame - not only in the moral sense but also in the personal. Later on when I got out in the "real world" I came to realize just how selfish most people are, how selfishness comes unthinkably to most people, easy as batting an eye and twice as quick. Sharing and generosity were things that were taught to me from a very young age and again were hammered into me from school, first at my small catholic school (enforced by sour faced nuns with rulers) and then later on at the arts academy I attended (out of necessity). Looking back I realize how fortunate I really was. What's that you say? You think a child's picture book about an elephant and a pig with an ice cream cone should be something an adult should read? Slow down the crazy train there! We all know adult reading levels have dropped off in recent years but come on.īut no, really! This is a book you really should read. with an illustration of a pigeon ice cream cone in the back as the cherry on top! This book isn't laugh-till-you-can-hardly-breathe funny as some of his other works are - in fact, my daughter was almost reduced to tears the first time she saw Gerald staring gloomily at his melted ice cream cone - but if you've come to love Elephant and Piggie as much as we have, you won't want to miss this touching tale of the unique bond between two adorable friends. It never fails to amaze me how complex and entertaining a story Mo Willems can create from such simple, insightful pictures and so few beginning reader words. My 4 year-old daughter and I love all of the Elephant and Piggie books. Piggie comes to the rescue just in time for the two friends to share not only ice cream but the joy of true friendship as well. should he gobble it up or share it with Piggie? By the time Gerald's conscience finally wins out over his stomach, alas, his ice cream has melted! But all is not lost.
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