Preview
Copywork
About This Passage
Selected because Mo Willems uses the phrase "I know parties" / "He knows parties" as a kind of refrain. Each time it returns, the reader knows a little more clearly that Gerald does NOT know parties at all. The copywork rewards careful punctuation practice and shows how repetition can build comedy without changing a single word.
"What if it is a fancy party? We must be ready." "Really?" "I know parties." "He knows parties."
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?
Discussion Questions
- Mo Willems uses the line "I know parties" three times in the story, and each time Piggie repeats it back: "He knows parties." Why does Willems use this kind of refrain? What does the repetition do for the story's comedy?
- Gerald keeps adding new things he is afraid the party might be: fancy, pool, costume. Each guess increases what they need to wear. Argue what Gerald is really doing — preparing for the party, hiding his uncertainty, or something else?
+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
A gathering of people for fun, food, and games; the event Piggie has been invited to.
Item 2
A written or spoken request to come to an event; what Piggie holds at the start of the story.
Item 3
Decorated, elegant, for special occasions; the first guess Gerald makes about the party.
+ 5 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
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