Review of "I Love My New Toy!" by Mo Willems

Gerald the baby elephant and Piggie the young pig are good friends. As the cover notes, Gerald is careful, but Piggie is not. When Piggie gets a new toy, she can't wait to show it to Gerald. But when she gives it to Gerald to let him play with it, disaster strikes! Yes, the toy breaks. Piggie is very upset and tells Gerald she is mad. Gerald says he's sorry, over and over, but Piggie is still sad. The story has a happy ending when a baby squirrel picks up the broken toy and makes up a new way to play with it.

Mo Willems is both the author and the illustrator of this excellent children's book for new readers ages 4-8. The simple cartoon-like pictures are easy to follow, and tell the story on their own as clearly as the text.