The Kirkus review gives an excellent sense of the humor and readability of the story. 'Well, that is a surprise,' says Piggie on the penultimate page, and the reader will also be surprised - and ready for more Elephant and Piggie stories. The text is often repetitive, but the changing illustrations and sense of fun make it far from dull. Each page is uncluttered - a character or two against a while background and large text in the speech balloons. 'We must be ready.' 'Really?' says Piggie, with an expression that conveys her doubt much more quickly than extra words that would slow down a beginning reader. 'What if it is a fancy party?' asks Gerald.

The story is told through a combination of dialogue in speech balloons (Gerald's are gray and Piggie's are pale pink) and expressive illustrations that provide subtext for the story. Mo Willems delivers on what every beginning reader wants and needs: simple but engaging text, with only a handful of words on each page, and a short but hilarious story line. Piggie has been invited to a party, and her friend Gerald the elephant gives advice on how to get ready in this humorous beginning reader. He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family. Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door. Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation. The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's.' In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91. #1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems is best known for his Caldecott Honor winning picture books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale.

I am invited to a party by mo willems