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series Reading Order

Elephant & Piggie Books in Order

34 Books
2 Reading orders
2001 – 2022 Published
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Reading order

Where to Start Reading Elephant & Piggie

For parents and educators introducing young readers to Mo Willems' beloved series, the best place to start is at the very beginning with Today I Will Fly! (2007). This book sets the stage for the entire series, establishing the core dynamic between the two friends: Gerald is the cautious, worry-prone elephant, while Piggie is the optimistic, impulsive, and creative pig. Starting here allows children to see how their personalities balance each other out from their very first interaction.

That said, one of the greatest strengths of the Elephant & Piggie series is its accessibility. You do not need to follow a strict chronological path. Because each story functions as a self-contained vignette of childhood friendship, readers can easily jump in anywhere. However, if you want a satisfying narrative arc, we recommend starting with the debut and concluding with the intentional finale, The Thank You Book (2016), which brings back characters from across the entire series for a final curtain call.

The Main Series Publication Order

Published between 2007 and 2016, the main Elephant & Piggie series consists of 25 books. Mo Willems wrote and illustrated every one of these titles. Reading them in publication order allows kids to experience the subtle progression of the characters' bond and the increasingly playful ways Willems experiments with the comic-book layout.

Here is the full publication order of the main series:

  1. Today I Will Fly! (2007)
  2. My Friend Is Sad (2007)
  3. I Am Invited to a Party! (2007)
  4. There Is a Bird on Your Head! (2007)
  5. I Love My New Toy! (2008)
  6. I Will Surprise My Friend! (2008)
  7. Are You Ready to Play Outside? (2008 - Note: Listed as 2001 in some database contexts, but officially released in 2008)
  8. Watch Me Throw the Ball! (2009)
  9. Elephants Cannot Dance! (2009)
  10. Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (2009)
  11. I Am Going! (2010)
  12. Can I Play Too? (2010)
  13. We Are in a Book! (2010)
  14. I Broke My Trunk! (2011)
  15. Should I Share My Ice Cream? (2011)
  16. Happy Pig Day! (2011)
  17. Listen to My Trumpet! (2012)
  18. Let's Go for a Drive! (2012)
  19. A Big Guy Took My Ball! (2013)
  20. I'm a Frog! (2013)
  21. My New Friend Is So Fun! (2014)
  22. Waiting Is Not Easy! (2014)
  23. I Will Take a Nap! (2015)
  24. I Really Like Slop! (2015)
  25. The Thank You Book (2016)

Understanding Chronology, Caveats, and Standalones

Are there any major chronological continuity issues to worry about in this series? The short answer is no. Gerald and Piggie do not age, and their world remains a minimalist, character-focused stage with no background clutter, allowing early readers to focus entirely on facial expressions and dialogue. The books can be read in any order based on what is available at your local library or bookstore.

However, there are a few minor exceptions where reading certain books together or in a specific order adds to the experience:

  • We Are in a Book! (2010) is a famous meta-fictional story where Gerald and Piggie realize they are being read by a real-life reader. This is a fantastic mid-series read because it breaks the fourth wall in a way that delights children who are already familiar with the characters.
  • The Thank You Book (2016) was deliberately written as the series finale. It is highly recommended to save this book for last, as Piggie attempts to thank everyone who has appeared in their adventures, making it a emotional and satisfying conclusion to their 25-book journey.
  • Awards and Milestones: If you are looking for the absolute highest-quality entries to sample first, look to the award-winners. There Is a Bird on Your Head! won the prestigious Theodor Seuss Geisel Award in 2008, and Are You Ready to Play Outside? won the same Medal in 2009. Several other titles in the series have received Geisel Honors.

The Spin-Off: Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!

After Mo Willems finished the main series in 2016, he launched a collaborative spin-off series called Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!. In these books, Gerald and Piggie appear in introductory and concluding pages to recommend and discuss a book written and illustrated by a guest author. This imprint is designed to transition young readers from Willems' signature style to other talented children's book creators.

These spin-offs are best read after children have become familiar with the main series, as the framing sections rely on the reader's pre-existing love for Gerald and Piggie's dynamic. Here is the release order of the spin-off books:

  1. The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat (2016)
  2. We Are Growing! by Laurie Keller (2016)
  3. The Good for Nothing Button by Charise Mericle Harper (2017)
  4. It's Shoe Time! by Bryan Collier (2017)
  5. The Itchy Book! by LeUyen Pham (2018)
  6. Harold & Hog Pretend For Real! by Dan Santat (2019)
  7. What About Worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins (2020)
  8. I'm On It! by Andrea Tsurumi (2021)
  9. It's a Sign! by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey (2022)

What to Know Before You Start: Practical Reading Advice

Elephant & Piggie books are specifically engineered for early readers, using speech bubbles instead of traditional narrative blocks. The speech bubbles are color-coded (grey for Gerald, pink for Piggie), making them perfect for shared reading. Here are a few practical tips to get the most out of your reading time:

Try Dynamic Partner Reading

Assign roles! Have your child read Piggie's pink bubbles while you read Gerald's grey bubbles, or vice versa. The simple vocabulary and repetitive phrases build sight-word recognition, while the dynamic back-and-forth keeps kids engaged. Gerald's cautious nature and Piggie's hyperactive energy provide excellent opportunities for kids to practice reading with dramatic expression.

Focus on Visual Literacy

Because Mo Willems keeps the backgrounds completely blank, the characters' body language and facial expressions tell half the story. Ask your child how they think Gerald or Piggie is feeling based on their eyes, posture, or the size of the text inside the speech bubbles. This builds emotional intelligence alongside reading comprehension.

Frequently Asked

QCan Elephant & Piggie books be read in any order?

Yes. Except for The Thank You Book, which acts as a series finale, the main 25 books are completely standalone and can be read in any order without confusion.

QWhat is the best book to start the Elephant & Piggie series?

The recommended starting point is Today I Will Fly! (2007) because it is the first book published and perfectly introduces the personalities of Gerald and Piggie.

QWhich Elephant & Piggie books won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award?

There Is a Bird on Your Head! won the Geisel Medal in 2008, and Are You Ready to Play Outside? won the Geisel Medal in 2009.

QWhat is the difference between the main series and "Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!"?

The main series is written and illustrated entirely by Mo Willems. The Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series is a spin-off imprint where guest authors write the stories, and Gerald and Piggie only appear in the introduction and ending to frame the book.

QWhat is the final book in the main Elephant & Piggie series?

The final book in the main series is The Thank You Book, published in 2016, which serves as a celebratory farewell to all the characters in the franchise.

QWhy are the speech bubbles in the books color-coded?

Mo Willems color-coded the speech bubbles (grey for Gerald and pink for Piggie) to help early readers easily identify which character is speaking and encourage buddy reading.