Pigs Books

This book is very funny and once I started reading it I had a hard time putting it down just because I wanted to know what was going to happen left. For a fiction it is very funny and you have to wonder just how much of it is really true.

Fate overcomes all. Maggie is a very strong woman, who put up with alot, and finally gained her freedom from an abusive relationship, through a twist of fate!!! Excellent reading for all women. A.J. Farthing writes with such a depth, it makes you wonder how much of the book is based on true life. I cant wait to read her next book.

this book is really good! my whole class read it for our class read in english. we all really enjoyed it. even though it is very sad and emotional, it is also funny. to read it you will need to have a box of tissues by your side. this is one of the best books i have ever read!

writen by
sophie b 8H edgbaston high school

I personally think this must be one of the best books i have ever read! i am 11yrs old and own 'Hacker' and 'Pig-heart boy', but i have yet to read the other book of hers. both of the books i have read are EXELLENT and i would HIGHLY RECCOMEND them both to anyone. i rated them both top! if anyone is looking for a book to read this would be an IDEAL CHOICE!! READ IT - YOU CANT STOP UNTIL YOU'VE READ THE LAST PAGE AND EVEN THEN YOU READ IT AGAIN!!! i recomend you buy it INSTANTLY!

a cute book about Briggs the Pig and his wife Bertha. It shows that you have to be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Bertha and Briggs are two pigs who live the pig's life: Simple, playful, and muddy. By all rights, they should be content, and they do look happy when we see them on a typical day. Still, underneath it all, these are two bored pigs: "Nothing happens to us--every day is the same." They're pigs with a dream, however, dreams of wealth and riches.

That presents a problem, for how do two ambitious but four-footed pigs get wealthy. Well-known author/illustrator Helen Oxenbury solves this one quickly--they find buried treasure--and soon the pigs are off to sample the more exclusive shops of the nearby town. First, it's off to the bank, where their piggy appearance gets them booted by the manager. The manager quickly changes his tune when he sees their gold. (I believe something similar happened to Janis Joplin at an auto dealership.)

Exchanging their gold for green, they go on a "shopping spree!" "Briggs turn was next, and he felt quite a swell--he tried on four suits and they fit him quite well." Oxenbury is so talented that Briggs really does look quite dapper in his pin-striped suit! They're rich enough to buy a stretch limo (!) and that farmhouse they'd seen, and Bertha and Briggs enjoy their new status, especially Briggs. (Perhaps Bertha fancies herself a Martha Stewart, but she handles all the domestic chores, whilte Briggs putters, reads, and makes a few phone calls.)

Without giving too much away, the two pigs very soon discover that possessions can be a headache: It's sort of a pig version of "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House." Another octet of pictures shows their newfound troubles: "At last the two pigs couldn't stand any more. Briggs grabbed Bertha's arm, and they dashed through the door." The grass is always greener, and after destroying some vestiges of their consPIGuous consumption, that's exactly where the two wiser pigs fall asleep that night, au naturale and happy again.

The rhymes are clever, move the story along briskly, and unforced--there are no inverted sentences just to make words rhyme. Her gouache, pencil, and ink illustrations are uncommonly fresh, crisp, and extremely well-matched to the narrative. For example, after an opening series of small pictures depicting typical porcine pleasures (including wallowing, eating, scratching, dozing, gossiping). her full-page illustration of the pigs overlooking the large, luxury farmhouse accompanies a larger, more thematic rhyme: "But Bertha and Briggs were never content. "On money and riches their two minds were bent./There were so many wonderful things they would do-- /only then would they really be happy, they knew."

Ms. Oxenbury's symmetric structure, original and humorous rhymes, and warm, whimsical illustrations give "Pig Tale" an enormous appeal. It should be very high on the book list of anyone with an appetite for piggy lit.

We love this book. It's one of my 2 year old's favorite (he calls it "Pig & Hen"). Fun book with two characters who are good friends that love to paint together. Hen is busy all of a sudden with laying eggs, Pig tries to get involved and then a fun ending. Great pictures, too.

This is one of my toddler's favorite books. He loves to look at the colorful pictures. We both were very amused by the surprise ending!

I agree that this book should remain in print. We got it at the library, but we can't keep it forever. I'm going to buy it used so we can have a copy. My not-quite-2-year-old son asks for this book nearly every day!

It's a shame this book has gone out of print. It's such a sweet, gentle book and the rhymes, while a bit sing-songy, aren't at all cloying. My toddler and preschooler love hearing me speak in the animal voices. This one really gives them the giggles! Highly recommended if you can find a copy!

N.B. This is the British edition of THE TWO-HEADED BOY & OTHER MEDICAL MARVELS.

N.B. This is the British edition of THE TWO-HEADED BOY & OTHER MEDICAL MARVELS.

This book will make a great read aloud. It has terrific art work and the words flow in a great rhyming pattern. Some of the words are a bit unusual for the area I live in and aren't common in most reading. Children may have difficulty reading this book by themselves for the first time. Once they learn all the words and their pronounciations and meanings they will love reading it with friends or to younger children.

From all across the holler,
from every nook and cranny,
all the piggies are arriving
for the yearly hootenanny.

So begins this rhythmic, rhyming read-aloud. On each double-page spread we see the pigs prancing, romping, dancing, stomping, singing, sighing (at the glorious voice of the "peachy-keen soprano") and having a rollicking good time.

Pham does an excellent job at capturing the pigs' merriment and high-spirited hoofing. Done in watercolor and colored pencil, the double-paged illustrations are filled with lots of action and humorous piggy poses and facial expressions. Smartly, Pham keeps the book from being overwhelmingly busy by limiting the inside scenes primarily to pinks, peaches, yellows, and oranges. The layout and judicious use of white space make the book a pleasure to read as well as look at.

When the book arrived here at Education Oasis all our teacher-reviewers loved it. The litmus test for us, however, is whether or not it works in the classroom. We took it into several classrooms to see how the prancing porkers faired. The students to whom we read it also loved it and demanded several re-readings. Thankfully, Appelt's text is great fun to read aloud. The rhymes roll off the tongue easily.

Don't miss this one!

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff

Jakers! is by far THE cutest kid's show out there. The fact that it teaches life lessons is the icing on the cake.
Love the characters and love the message it delivers. My 20-month-old enjoys this show too! :)

Jakers is a wonderful cartoon for youngsters. It is on PBS only one day a week, so having a disc is a wonderful way to enjoy it anytime. It is set in Ireland, and the characters have the accents to go along with the setting. These adorable friends get into so much mischief and learn important life lessons along the way. I highly recommend.

I'm not sure why this book is listed as Baby-Preschool, especially since it is 48 pages, but my daughter, age 5, loves it. I love reading it to her too! Piggy and Fox and Mr.and Mrs.Farmer Todd are wonderful, delightful characters who set a great a example of caring for one another, sharing and helping. The ending always makes us say "Aww"! A real treasure!

Should be listed among those hidden treasures that defy the standard format of children's books. Great for the transition from picture to chapter books. After two years, it still hasn't grown old on our kids (5 & 7), who still ask for it long after having tired of many other books. Short chapters can be read as stand-alone stories or in sequence, so reading time can be tailored to short or long sessions. Story combines real-world relations with children's fantasies and games. Get it.

This is a very good book! It has bright colors and very large words that makes it easy to read. My 5-month old daughter likes it very very much. She chooses it out of her other books. It is absolutely our favorite book!

I am a long time fan of Classic Pooh, and my husband bought this for our son and myself to read together.
We have probably read it 500 times since March! My son loves the pictures, and love to point out Pooh and Piglet, and all the other characters to grace this beautiful book.

Also, the words are BIG,, a good first choice for when he is ready to learn to read on his own. Until then I will read it ten times a day! It's just as sweet as Piglet himself!