Bestselling picture book creator Mo Willems is making his debut in the early-reader arena with the Elephant and Piggie series. The books feature two lovable and funny characters: an optimistic (and sometimes reckless) pig, and a cautious, pessimistic elephant. Children who sat on their parents’ laps to have Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! read to them will eagerly take the plunge with these books to start reading on their own. With each text reviewed by an early-learning specialist, these sweet and surprising stories are a breath of fresh air in the early-reader category. In My Friend Is Sad, Gerald is down in the dumps. Piggie is determined to cheer him up by dressing as a cowboy, a clown, and even a robot! But what does it take to make a sad elephant happy? The answer will make even pessimistic elephants smile.