Pigs Books

In this fresh and original tale Tracey Campbell Pearson explores a common childhood problem and offers up a deliciously satisfying solution. Myrtle, a mouse, has an idyllic existence. She has a loving mother and father, and a sweet baby brother, a room full of toys, shelves full of books. Life is wonderful . . . until Frances moves next door. Frances is m-e-a-n. Frances dresses up like a monster and scares Myrtle (and her baby brother). She plants fake snakes in Myrtle's yard, steals Myrtle's ball, and generally makes Myrtle's life miserable.

When Myrtle begins spending her days in the closet, Myrtle's parents make an emergency call to Aunt Tizzy (who happens to be on safari in Africa ). Aunt Tizzy rushes to the rescue. She spends the day with Myrtle-in the closet-talking and giggling and playing.

Myrtle finally tells Aunt Tizzy about mean Frances . Aunt Tizzy tells Myrtle about mean lions in Africa.

"Weren't you scared?" asked Myrtle.
"Sure, but I wasn't going to let a few nasty lions keep me away from Africa ." Aunt Tizzy said.
"What about when they roared mean lion roars?" whispered Myrtle.
"I told them to stop being rude, and if they continued, I simply roared back," replied Aunt Tizzy. "Or sometimes," she added, "I would just sing and dance until they were gone."

Aunt Tizzy's words have a powerful effect on Myrtle. She leaves the closet, grabs her toys and baby brother, and makes for the back yard. There she and her brother "wiggled and squiggled," laughed and roared, sang silly songs, and . . . ignored Frances.

Pearson's bright, colorful watercolor illustrations capture perfectly the unfolding drama, Tizzy's exuberant personality, Myrtle's transformation, and the clever conclusion. Myrtle is a simple yet powerful tale that you will not want to miss. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff.

Tracey Pearson's "Myrtle" is a lively, colorful book that teaches toddlers and young elementary school kids how to outwit, outplay, and outlast neighborhood bullies. It's a masterful turn by Pearson, who writes and draws with sensitivity and vivacity.

Myrtle and her baby brother are happy children who enjoy books, games, and the outdoors, all under the watchful love of their parents. However, this rodent rhapsody is disturbed when Frances moves next door. Pearson gets right to the point: "Frances did not love Myrtle or her baby brother. Frances made mean signs, sang mean songs, and said mean things, Frances was mean."

Pearson cleverly mixes the threat with some humor, so that the mean mouse won't frighten readers and listeners too much: "When Myrtle's ball rolled into Frances's yard, Frances kept it for three weeks and two days. Myrtle only got it because her baby brother found it. Frances had covered it with bubble gum, and it stuck to his nose." Frances is both mean and persistent, and she dresses up as a monster, plants rubber snakes, and throws water balloons at the increasingly anxious mouse victims.

Here, Pearson's story really departs from cookie cutter formulas entailing wise parents or tricky, funny revenge: She shows that being a victim hurts, Myrtle decides not to go outside at all, and, for some unexplained reason, her parents are unable to comfort her. Pearson shows that parents are not omnipotent and sometimes have to turn to outside help. That is why the loving parents call Aunt Tizzy back from her African safari to help Myrtle. ("Aunt Tizzy dropped her binoculars and caught the first elephant out of the jungle."). If ever there were a lay counselor, it is Aunt Tizzy. She doesn't confront the problem immediately; instead, she focuses on relaxing Myrtle by having fun with her. They "giggled and played"; "they roared and they howled and they yowled" while playing with Tizzy's African masks. Tizzy wears authentic African clothes and masks, beautifully illustrated by Pearson, add even much vitality to the book, but it's a cozy energy, all played out in the intimate safety of Myrtle's large closet.

Again, Pearson eschews the obvious. In many books, she and Myrtle would avenge themselves by scaring Frances with the masks. Instead, Tizzy tells Myrtle how she handles "nasty lions" in Africa. She tells them they are rude, "and if they continued, I simply roared back." And sometimes she "would just sing and dance until they were gone" Myrtle comes out of her closet feeling "bigger and stronger," and when Frances confronts Myrtle, her aunt's lessons serve her well. She uses her words ("How rude!"), and then they sing happy, silly songs, drowning out Frances's mean ones. They dance and "squiggle and wiggle," and have so much fun that they forget Frances, who finally comes out of her hiding place and waits "for someone to notice her." (This implied need for attention could be discussed with your young audience.)

This very impressive book is truly original, not an easy feat in kids' books. Pearson doesn't take any shortcuts or easy laughs (well, except for the baby brother being so happy he wets his pants); instead, she shows innovative ways to calm the bullied child and build self-confidence. Rather than simply giving Frances "a dose of her own medicine," or scaring her back, the young mice learn to combat their fears from the inside first: Overlaying anxiety with fun and confidence, and then gently modeling a few verbal and behavioral coping techniques. Psychologically adept for adults, yet enormously fun, colorful, and relevant for youngsters, this superb book is as entertaining and engaging as it is helpful.

This is a very sweet, simple book that my daughter begs for every night. When she was very little it was easy to rush the build-up of the story a bit, and, now that she is a little older, she anticipates every word, and screams with joy when the surprise happens, which she has to kiss, everytime.

We have already worn out one copy and are working our way through the second copy now.

This was a Valentine's Day gift for my daughter who is 3. It has since become a permanent part of our bedtime routine. My daughter adores this book so much that we take turns reading it aloud, and she can't read yet! She memorized the words. The illustrations are darling and the sentiment is sweet. The semi- 3D construction makes the book very unique. Needless to say, it is the #1 book in our library.

Let's face it, even though squirrels seem like cute furry woodland creatures, that's just a disguise. Squirrels are evil mammals bent on world domination and can never be trusted. It's so wonderful to find a children's book that not only discusses this concept, but supports it.

NEVER TRUST A SQUIRREL! is about a young guinea-pig who fails to listen to the advice of his mother and goes wondering in the woods with a squirrel. When a sly fox shows up, the squirrel abandons the guinea-pig and what follows is a story of love and a lesson in parental obedience.

This is a great book and the kids I used to teach in preschool loved it. The illustrations are lively and full of natural color, augmenting each scene they accompany.

At a time when there is a huge selection for buyers of children's books to choose from, it is surprisingly rare to find a really good story at an appropriate level. This book was a delightful surprise. I bought it for the 4/5 year olds in my preschool class, and it was an instant success. The children found the story absorbing and were not concerned that a squirrel is an alien species here. I recommend this book to parents, teachers and the young children for whom it has been written.

This book is an interresting true story that many children can relate to in terms of dreams for the future. My daughter and I enjoy Pamela Jane's writing and the illustrations go well with the text.

I like this book because it is funny. I also like "Right On, Winky Blue!." Winky goes to New York City because he was chosen to be a guest on a radio show. This is a funny book too.

This beautifully illustrated & wonderfully written story would make a wonderful addition to any family's library & will bring a smile to every child's (& parent's) face!

*Added bonus: I love the fact that friendly dinosaurs are pictured on the ark with Noah and the other animals! YEAH!

Not Too Small At All: A Mouse Tale is a picturebook for young Christian readers who wonder, "What is God's purpose for me?" Seen through the eyes of a little mouse who learns about the amazing story of Grandpa Mouse's youthful journey to the ark, Not Too Small At All transforms the Biblical story of Noah into an engaging story of God's love and renewal. "Often in the evenings Noah would talk to his family about God's plan. He reminded them that God's heart had been grieved because of the sin of the people of the earth, and that God had sent this worldwide flood as punishment for their wickedness. But God had provided a way of escape, a way to be saved from the waters of the flood." Gentle illustrations complement this reinterpretation of one of the Old Testament's most well-known parables.

A quiet story full of musical words that reveal the joys a child can experience in winter. Throughout the book, the message flows to celebrate the present and to have patience for the future. The illustrations are whimsical.

My Kindergarten son brought this home from the school library and I think it is just an adorable book. The illustrations are so cute and the story is charming too. Will spring ever come? is the reoccuring theme. Will spring ever come with black berries and cream? Now it is winter with oatmeal and brown sugar. So many cute little references can't help but leave readers feeling cozy all ready for the comfy bed time tuck in at the end of the book. Curl up with your child reading this on a chlly night and you'll feel warm inside.

My daughter Caroline, age 11, offers this review:

I treasured every word of "Obi, Gerbil on the Loose!". I, too, have a gerbil by the name of Obi-Wan-Kenobi, and I was amazed at the characteristic resemblance between Delaney's Obi and my Obi. Book Obi had some humanlike traits, but did not go as far as being able to speak to humans. Also, from the second I started reading "Obi", I felt as if I was traveling with Obi through the Armstrong's house from a gerbil's point of view all through her remarkable adventure. The characters were amazingly 3-dimensional, being neither entirely good nor entirely bad. I certainly hope there will be another book written about Obi so I can embark upon another adventure with her. I simply could not put this book down! "Obi, Gerbil on the Loose!" is definitely a must-read for kids (and adults) of all ages!

This a wonderful gerbil story told from a gerbil's point of view. It is a good story for the young at heart to read also. Plus I love the cover showing the siamese gerbil. Get this book and read it. You will not be disappointed.

I love the name of the gerbil Obi named after the Star Wars favorite.

The title was cute and it contained several stories that were easy for young children to understand. I figured maybe these stories would help my young children [9 and 4] who were always fighting and teasing each other. "You always take his side because he's a baby" my daughter would cry. She was quite jealous of her younger brother and missed being the only child, the only niece, the only grandchild. My son was fed up being the baby. He wanted to be a big boy. "How come she can do that? I'm not a baby", he'd frown. This book taught them there are two sides to a story and that in the middle ground you can find love. Now that my children are 27 and 21, they still talk about this book and how it made them friends.

I grew up reading this book, and I shared that with my younger sister, who adores this book. It is a wonderful story about loving each other and about siblings learning that despite their differences they can still love and protect one another. It is a wonderful buy for any family.

What's a bird to do when she's afraid of flying? Poor Olvina, a chicken, really wants to attend the Tenth Annual Bird Convention (in Hawaii), but she's afraid of flying (in an airplane--chickens can't fly).

Fortunately for Olvina, she has a good friend in Will (a pig) who helps her get to the airport. The book does a great job of reviewing the elements of airline travel that can overwhelm young travelers: the busy airport, security checks, leaving friends behind at the gate, boarding the plane, and airplane noise at take off.

Lin's illustrations are charming. In Olvina's world, penguins, dogs, beavers, hippos, etc. are fellow travelers.

A great book--not just for those about to fly.

I loved Richard Scarry books when I was young, and this book reminds me of his. I love all of the animals characters and the fun details in the art. I think this is the perfect book for kids who are flying for the first time, and also just a fun storybook for anyone in general. The art is beautiful--wonderful patterns and bright colors.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning. They are photographed of modeled clay, and look as crisp and whimsical as the works of Nick Parks (of Wallace and Grommit fame). The sequencing and rhyming of colors and objects is clever, and is still fun the 10th or 20th+ time you read it to your little one. My daughter loves looking for the gray mouse in every picture, and I am still finding new things to discover in the pictures myself. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Ideal for children from 1-3.

The rhythmic text and the brightly-coloured illustrations captivated my child as early as 4 months of age. The repetition of colour from one page to the next and the little mouse collecting a souvenir in each illustration only add that much more to an engaging read-aloud experience.