Elephant & Piggie Outline For Classroom Visits & Assemblies

Looking for a fun school outreach theme that will capture the attention of elementary students and leave them clamoring for the library? Elephant & Piggie can’t be beat! Here is a script with activities, songs, rhymes, and promotional blurbs for the library you can use for classroom visits, school assemblies, or storytimes. Use this plan to celebrate Gerald and Piggie’s Friendiversary in February, promote summer reading, encourage back-to-school library card sign-up, or any time!

Overview

The Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems has broad appeal for ages 5 through 12. I’ve presented this outline in a gymnasium of 400 elementary students and a classroom of 25. While students in grades K-2 will be most familiar with the book series, don’t hesitate to use Elephant & Piggie with grades 3-4. The upper grades will enjoy the nostalgic power of these classic characters and be excited to revisit their old storybook friends.

Book Character Costume Rentals

If you have the budget, rent Elephant & Piggie costumes from Costume Specialists to make your event the best. While there is no “rental fee,” there is a $380 shipping charge as the costume pieces come in large trunks. To help with the cost, ask your Friends of the Library for a donation or contact other libraries in your area to see if they’d be interested in sharing the cost and costumes.

In addition to taking the costumes to a school, I typically schedule at least one event at the Library within a day or two for the most ROI.

It’s still too costly to rent fancy costumes, no problem! Substitute the character portions of this plan with puppets or skip it altogether and present it like you would any other storytime. Like I said, it’s adaptable!

If you’re using costumes or puppets, you’ll need two staff members, school staff, or volunteers to assist you. If you skip that portion, then the only person required is you!

Assembly Script & Introduction

Here is the most successful script I’ve used. Please adapt it to your needs and voice.

Hello everyone! I’m Librarian Marta from the ____ Library. I think you might know who I brought with me today, Elephant & Piggie, from the books by Mo Willems!

How many Elephant & Piggie books do you think there are? 25, and we have all of them at the Library!

Raise your hand if you have been to the Library before.
Raise your hand if you know how much it costs to borrow books from the Library: FREE!

There are fun things to do at the Library besides reading books. You can also:

Use computers

Build LEGOs

Sing songs

Make crafts

Watch movies

Attend awesome programs and events, like Star Wars Camp!

Gerald, what is your favorite thing to do at the Library? [Lean in to hear his response.] Gerald likes to read books about pigs!

Piggie, what about you? [Lean in to hear her response.] Read books about elephants!

Well, we’ll read a book about both of those things right now, plus frogs!

Read Aloud

We're in a Book! by Mo Willems book cover

Any Elephant & Piggie book will do, but I’ve enjoyed We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems. During the story, Elephant and Piggie can move around to act it out OR pretend to be listening and make excited movements throughout the read-aloud. Regarding character costumes, I prefer “Disney style,” meaning the characters don’t speak so as not to ruin the magic.

Promote Upcoming Events

Don’t forget to throw in some library promotions. For example:

We have fun things going on at the library every week! Raise your hand if you like:

Crafts

Movies

Dogs

Singing

Soccer

Sharks

Great, because we have all these things OR books about all these things at the library! Plus, we have something fun planned each day during spring break/summer/fall. Here are some upcoming events you can attend…[list whatever you’ve got coming up]

Facts About Gerald and Piggie

Now that I’ve told you some facts about the library, here are some facts about Gerald & Piggie:

Gerald

His full name is Elephant Gerald

His birthday is February 5

His best friend is Piggie

Favorite color is pink

Favorie food is quiche

Hobby is being a safety monitor

Piggie

Her birthday is May 2

Best friend is Gerald

Favorite color is pink

Favorite food is bubble gum and slop

Hobby is dancing

Raise your hand if you want to learn more about Elephant & Piggie or to read their books. Well, then you’ll have to visit the Library!

Movement Rhymes

To keep students engaged, allow them to get their wiggles out. Here are two rhymes that work like a charm:

You’ve done a great job listening! Let’s see if you can listen and follow directions. Shake your hands to wake them up because you’ll need them for this rhyme:

Two Little Piggies Rhyme

Two little piggies sitting on a hill [Hold index fingers up in front of you.]
One named Jack & one named Jill
Run away Jack, run away Jill [Move each hand behind your back.]
Come back Jack, come back Jill [Move each hand in front of you.]

Two little piggies sitting in the snow
One named FAST and one named SLOW
Run away FAST, run away SLOW [Move each hand behind you super fast or super slow.]
Come back FAST, come back SLOW [Repeat to the front.]

Two little piggies feeling very proud
One named QUIET, one named LOUD
Run away QUIET, run away LOUD
Come back QUIET, come back LOUD

By now, your students will be bouncing off the walls as they were just able to yell with you. Calm them down with this follow-the-leader style rhyme:

Hands On Your Head Rhyme

Hands in the sky
Hands on your knees
Hands on your tummy
Now quiet down please

Hands on your head
Hands go to bed
Now clap, clap, clap
And put your hands in your lap

Pass Out Flyers

I’ve given your teachers this flyer [show flyer], and they’ll send it home for you to share with your adults. The flyer lists the library’s address, phone number, and website so your adults know where it is. The flyer also lists the dates and times of the events I mentioned, so they know about those, too.

Does anyone have a question about the library or library events?

Thank you for listening today and allowing us to visit. We’ll see you at the library!

Don’t forget to save time for teachers to take photos of Elephant & Piggie with their classes!

Extra Songs & Rhymes

If you need to fill time, here are some additional songs and rhymes to add to your presentation:

If You’re Wearing Gray Today

If you’re wearing gray today, gray today, gray today
If you’re wearing gray today
Stand up and dance really s-l-o-w

If you’re wearing pink today…stand up and dance real fast
If you’re wearing yellow today…stand up and spin 3 times
If you see a piggie today…stand up and shout hooray!

If You’re a Pig & You Know It

If you’re a pig and you know it clap your hands
If you’re a pig and you know it clap your hands
If you’re a pig and you know it
And you really want to show it
If you’re a pig and you know it clap your hands

If you’re a pig and you know it reach up high…
…stomp your feet
…freeze like a statue
…take a bow
…sit back down