Americans have the fundamental right to choose their president, and it’s never too early to learn about the electoral process and the importance of casting a ballot. On Election Day 2020 we asked children of all ages to vote in our Children’s Book Character Election. In a hotly contested race, Mo Willems’ newcomers Elephant and Piggie battled Arnold Lobel’s old stalwarts Frog and Toad. Elephant and Piggie ran on a platform of loyalty, compromise, and good times, while Frog and Toad spoke a message of friendship, kindness, and perseverance.
After all votes were carefully tallied, Elephant and Piggie won in a commanding fashion. Frog and Toad, a distant runner up. “Pollster librarians” indicated that based upon the circulation numbers of the Mo Willems book collection they were not surprised by the great success of Elephant and Piggie.
Most importantly, this mock election begins to teach children the significance of their civic duty to vote and the fundamental right it is to have their voice heard.