Numeroff, Laura. (2005). If you give a pig a party. U.S.A.: HarperCollins Publishers.

When I was a child I very much enjoyed the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, like most children in America. When I was browsing over the recommended picture book lists I was THRILLED to see there had been an addition to the If You Give series created by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. Their books would be GREAT for teaching cause and effect in the classroom as well as inferring skills. For example, on page 21 the book reads "when she sees the pillows, she'll probably start a...". The sentence cuts off and continues after you turn the page. This is a wonderful opportunity to ask your students what they think will happen next. Then she will start a what? 

Felicia Bond creates very colorful illustrations to engage the reader. She uses a double spread illustration a few times which grabbed my attention and gave me the impression that the event described on that page was extended over a period of time. She also uses page bleed on every page which fills the entire book with color to captivate the reader. On page 21, she uses horizontal lines to create a calm mood as the animals are getting their pillows ready for bedtime at their sleepover. 

If You Give a Pig a Party is a fun story full of a chain of events that all begins with throwing Pig (who is a character from the other If You Give books) a party. It is a very cute story and it made me a little nostalgic remembering my childhood as I read it. 

BIG QUESTION:

Have you ever had one thing happen that led to another thing, that led to another thing, and got out of control? Tell me about it. 

-Haley