Written and directed by Alan Barillaro, it was theatrically released alongside Pixar's Finding Dory on June 17, 2016.

[6] Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the short film a grade of "A−", calling it a "gripping survival story in cute, charming clothing".

[7] Writing for Insider, Kirsten Acuna also praised the animation, calling the depiction of sand and water "incredibly real".

[8] Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that Piper was "simple as a haiku and yet stunning" and called it the "uncontestable best" of that year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

[9] Stephanie Merry of The Washington Post called the short "one of Pixar’s strongest",[10] while Marcy Cook of The Mary Sue opined that it was better than Finding Dory (alongside which it was released) and was worth the price of admission on its own.