If your child loves Elephant & Piggie or the persistent Pigeon, you’re not alone. Mo Willems’ beloved characters have captured the hearts of young readers everywhere. As a parent, you might wonder if these engaging books can help your child with learning to read. The answer isn’t a simple yes or no—it’s about how you use these books as part of a broader approach to reading instruction.
The Role of Popular Books in Learning to Read
Let’s be clear from the start: while Mo Willems books are wonderfully engaging, they weren’t designed as reading instruction tools. No child will learn to read simply by memorizing these stories. However, when used thoughtfully alongside systematic phonics instruction, these books can become valuable allies in your child’s reading journey.
What makes these books so special? Mo Willems has created stories with clear dialogue, expressive characters, and predictable patterns. The simple speech bubbles make it obvious who’s speaking, and the characters’ expressions often match perfectly with the text. This combination creates an ideal environment for reading practice—once your child has the foundational skills to decode the words.
Start with Strong Foundations
Think of learning to read like building a house. Phonics instruction is the foundation—it’s not the most exciting part, but it’s absolutely essential. Mo Willems books are more like the furniture that makes the house feel like home. They make reading fun and engaging, but they need that solid foundation underneath.
When your child encounters a new word in an Elephant & Piggie book, encourage them to use their phonics skills first. Rather than guessing based on pictures or context, help them sound out the word using the letter patterns they’ve learned. The pictures then serve to confirm their reading, not replace the important work of decoding.
Make the Most of Mo Willems
Reading these books together can be both fun and educational. Start by reading the book to your child, letting them enjoy the story and become familiar with the characters. Then, as they develop their reading skills, invite them to join in.
Many Mo Willems books feature short vowel words and common sight words that beginning readers often encounter in their phonics lessons. When you find these words in the story, take a moment to practice them. You might say, “Look, we found the word ‘pig’ again! Remember how we can sound this out: /p/ /i/ /g/.” This connection between their phonics lessons and favorite stories helps reinforce their learning.
Elephant & Piggie Books
The Elephant & Piggie series offers a special opportunity for emerging readers. Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig have distinct personalities that shine through in every book, making their adventures both engaging and accessible for young readers. Let’s explore how to use these beloved books effectively in your child’s reading journey.
Why These Books Work
What makes Elephant & Piggie books particularly suited for young readers? Each story features carefully crafted dialogue between two main characters. Gerald tends to be cautious and worried, while Piggie is enthusiastic and adventurous. This consistent characterization helps children anticipate and understand the story flow, but it’s important to remember that this predictability should support—not replace—actual decoding skills.
The books use speech bubbles to show which character is speaking, and the illustrations perfectly capture each character’s emotions. While these visual cues are helpful, remember to encourage your child to decode the words first, using the pictures to confirm their understanding rather than guess at the text.
From Simple to Complex
The series brilliantly progresses in complexity. Early books like “My Friend is Sad” and “I Am Going!” use simpler sentence structures and more repetitive language. As the series continues, books like “We Are in a Book!” and “Should I Share My Ice Cream?” introduce more complex vocabulary and sentence patterns. This progression makes the series perfect for growing alongside your developing reader.
Reading Together
When sharing these books with your child, start by helping them notice the story structure. Each character has their own speech bubble color, making it easier to track dialogue. You might take turns being different characters, but always encourage your child to decode the words rather than memorize them. Even when they’re familiar with the story, ask them to point to each word as they read it.
Beyond Basic Decoding
Once your child is comfortable with the basic decoding in an Elephant & Piggie book, you can explore deeper elements. Notice how punctuation changes the way we read certain lines. Look at how Gerald and Piggie’s expressions match their words. Discuss why characters might feel certain ways. This builds comprehension skills while maintaining the fun of the story.
Build Reading Confidence
Many young readers find success with Elephant & Piggie books because the stories validate common childhood emotions while keeping the text accessible. When Gerald worries about trying something new, or when Piggie gets excited about sharing with a friend, children relate to these feelings. This emotional connection motivates them to work through the challenge of decoding new words.
A Note About Reading Levels
While Elephant & Piggie books are often labeled as “beginning readers,” remember that every child’s reading journey is different. Some children might need more support with decoding, while others might be ready for more complex books. Use these books at whatever pace works for your child, always ensuring they’re practicing proper decoding skills rather than just memorizing the stories.
Reading Together: A Sample Approach
Let’s look at how you might share “Today I Will Fly!” with your emerging reader:
First, encourage your child to decode the title, helping them with letter sounds as needed. As you read together, you might be Gerald while they read Piggie’s parts. When they encounter a new word, prompt them to use their phonics skills before looking at the picture. After reading, talk about why Piggie wanted to fly and how Gerald tried to help—this builds comprehension while maintaining engagement
Build Confidence Through Practice
One of the greatest strengths of Mo Willems books is how they build reading confidence. The repetitive phrases and predictable patterns give children plenty of opportunities to practice their skills successfully. After your child has decoded a word several times, they’ll begin to recognize it more quickly, building the fluency that leads to better comprehension.
The expressive characters also make it fun to practice reading with expression. Once your child can decode the words accurately, encourage them to read with feeling, just like the characters show in the illustrations. This helps develop fluency and makes reading more enjoyable.
Growing as a Reader
As your child’s reading skills develop, you can use these books in new ways. Start noticing patterns in the text—how certain words rhyme or how sentences are structured. Talk about why characters might feel certain ways, building comprehension skills. Create word lists from the stories to practice similar spelling patterns.
Remember that every child progresses at their own pace. Some days, your young reader might tackle new words with confidence. On other days, they might need more support. That’s perfectly normal. The key is maintaining a balance between systematic instruction and engaging practice.
Support Your Child’s Reading Journey
While Mo Willems books can provide wonderful reading practice, they work best as part of a comprehensive approach to reading instruction. Your child needs explicit, systematic phonics instruction to build their decoding skills. Once they have these foundational skills, the beloved characters and engaging stories of Mo Willems can provide the practice and motivation they need to become confident readers.
Ready to support your child’s reading journey? Start with the Reading.com app for systematic phonics instruction, then use Mo Willems books for engaging practice and reinforcement. Our structured approach ensures your child builds strong reading foundations while enjoying their favorite stories. Download the app today to begin your child’s path to reading success.