Gerald the elephant has a dilemma. It is a dilemma so big it forces him to consider questions of friendship and what is right or wrong. On a hot day, Gerald is lucky enough to get an ice cream cone, but his friend Piggie loves ice cream as well. Should he share his ice cream with his friend, or keep it all to himself? This ethical dilemma forms the basis for Mo Willems’s hysterical Should I Share My Ice Cream? Gerald is extremely analytical in his approach to the problem. He wonders if Piggie would like the flavor of the ice cream and whether it would be wrong to share a flavor Piggie does not like. He also considers whether he should go ahead and eat it anyway since Piggie does not know he has an ice cream cone. Each possible resolution gives rise to another complication to consider, and soon Gerald is left with a problem he simply cannot resolve.
I think Should I Share My Ice Cream? would be a fun book to read aloud to children. The story is told in the form of a running monologue as Gerald tries to decide what to do with the ice cream. The illustrations are simple, but expressive, conveying Gerald’s questioning, confusion, and, finally, angst.
Check the WRL catalog for Should I Share my Ice Cream?
