Best friends Gerald the elephant and Piggy the...um, pig, learn to make the most of any situation in "Are You Ready to Play Outside". The hand-drawn pictures are simple, but cute, with few colors and no background; the focus is entirely on Gerald, Piggy, and the words. The sentences are short, and the font is large with some being in complete capitol letters; perfect mix for learning to read.

Piggy's dramatic reactions throughout the story are entertaining and will certainly cause a few laughs for both you and your child. Piggy is calm one moment, exciting and jumping around the next, then swiftly moves into a full-on temper tantrum when the rain begins. Your child will enjoy your voice inflexions as they follows Piggy's drastic mood changes. The story is also one of friendship, and Gerald's action to shield Piggy from the rain with his giant ear, and later mimic the rain by shooting water from his trunk, demonstrate how much he cares about Piggy's happiness. This is a great opportunity to speak to your child about what nice things friends do for each other, without expecting anything in return.

I read this book to five-year-old Molly and her two-year-old brother, Scott. Scott enjoyed pointing out the pig on each page, while Molly had fun imitating Piggy's temper tantrum. We also stopped so Molly could tell a story about when she played in the rain. I told her next time it rains, I will run, skip, and jump in it with her - just like Gerald and Piggy.

--Audra