Elephant & Piggie - I Am Invited to a Party! — Chapter 1

About This Passage

Selected because Gerald says "I know parties" three times in the story, and each time he is more sure of himself even though every guess he makes is wrong. Mo Willems teaches dialogue punctuation here, and the copywork shows how the same three words can be funnier each time you read them.

Narration Prompt

Tell someone what happened in this story in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.

Discussion Questions

1. Piggie shows Gerald her invitation and says she has never been to a party. Gerald says he will go with her. He says, "I know parties." Why does Gerald keep saying he knows parties? What in the story makes you think so?
2. Gerald says they need to dress fancy. Then he says they need pool clothes too. Then he says they need costumes too. He keeps adding more outfits. Was Gerald really preparing for the party, or was he doing something else? What in the story makes you think so?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide