Inconvenient Truth: There Is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems

Mo Willems, 2008 Caldecott Honor winner for his Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity also received this year's Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for beginning reader books for his There Is a Bird On Your Head! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Elephant and Piggie), a droll little early reader which answers the burning question "What's worse than a bird on your head?" (Answer? "Two birds on your head!")

The story begins with the one question we all dread to ask.

"Is there something on my head?" Gerald the Elephant asks his friend Piggie.

"Yes," answers Piggie, looking a bit anxiously at the bird looking back at him.

"There is a bird on your head," he answers.

Things go downhill from there. Another bird with amorous intentions joins the first bird and to Gerald's consternation they proceed to prepare a nest, lay and hatch three eggs, and begin to raise their nestlings.

By now the indignity of it all is too much for Gerald. When yelling and jumping up and down don't dislodge the avian family, Piggie suggests that he ask nicely. "No problem," responds one bird, and they agreeably vacate the premises, lifting off with their family, nest and all.

"Thank you, Piggie! Thank you very much!" gushes the visibly relieved Gerald.



Other beginning readers in this series are Today I Will Fly! (Elephant and Piggie), My Friend is Sad (Elephant and Piggie), I Am Invited to a Party! (Elephant and Piggie), I Will Surprise My Friend! (Elephant and Piggie), and I Love My New Toy! (Elephant and Piggie).