


As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait Gerald groans. When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler-heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
