This book is part of an easy reader series (Elephant and Piggie Books) brought to you by the author of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. There are few words on each page and the text is found in speech bubbles. These speech bubbles are color-coded (pink for Piggie and grey for Elephant) so an early-reader can easily follow who is talking. The dialogue is accompanied by simple illustrations surrounded by a significant amount of white space. The only objects that appear are the elephant, the pig and the ball; the focus is on the words and the characters’ emotions. The drawings are expressive; a reader can easily tell what the character is feeling though the face and movements. The reader can easily see Elephant’s pride when he asserts that he is good at throwing; he stands up tall with his chin up and satisfied smile on his face (10). Movement plays a significant role in the story and is evident through the illustrations. For example, when Elephant yells on page 46, Piggie is blown over onto one hand. The illustrations feature thick, bold outlines and simple colors, reminiscent of a coloring book or similar children’s art.
The dialogue between Piggie and Elephant is engaging and funny. The vocabulary is simple although not easily decoded. The illustrations add to the emotion of the story but do not contain many decoding clues. The dialogue lends itself to reading with emotion, especially since the situation is one to which a child could relate. Piggie is told that he cannot throw the ball because he does not know how. The child could also relate to Elephant’s impatience with Piggie’s bragging, shown clearly in the illustrations; Elephant glares off to the side and then directly at the reader (44-45). In the end, Piggie stresses the importance of having fun rather than being perfect. By the end, Elephant also comes to appreciate this way of thinking. Watch Me Throw the Ball! would be an amusing read-aloud or independent reader for children ages 4-7.
Watch Me Throw the Ball! has won two honors: the 2009 Cybil Award for Easy Reader and the Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice for 2010.
Willems, Mo. Watch Me Throw the Ball!. New York: Hyperion, 2009. Print.
