Customer Reviews

Amanda Pig on Her Own (Puffin Easy-to-Read, Level 2)

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I bought this for my 6 year old a while ago to assist her in learning how to read. She really enjoyed reading this book though she had some difficulties with the contents. She keep reading this book as well other in the series of Amanda Pig.

If you plan to buy this book, keep in mind that this is a chapter book which might be difficult for stage1 of reading.As the time goes on, your early reader will identify this book in library as well at school.

This is another wonderful Amanda Pig book. The stories are about everyday things in the life of a preschool pig. My preschool daughter loves all things Amanda Pig- and so I read the books over and over- and I still like them! The Amanda and Oliver Pig books would be enjoyed by both Pre- and New Readers.

This book is characterized as a Level Two reader, which is described as "reading together, short sentences, simple dialogue".
The stories are interesting with colorful and cute illustrations by Ann Schweninger. Here, Amanda Pig is left to entertain herself when big brother Oliver goes off to kindergarten. Both piglets learn to deal on their own, and Oliver learns how to make new friends in kindergarten. I'd recommend this series to children who are beginning to develop some measure of independence in their reading and have completed the level one readers. It also makes an excellent read aloud for younger children.

This book contains four chapters. Note that all the Oliver and Amanda Pig books are considered Reading Level 2.

Chapter 1: Without Oliver -- Amanda says goodbye to Oliver Pig, who has just begun school. She is lonely at first, and everything she tries to do makes her miss her brother. With a little suggestion from Mother Pig, she eventually finds something to occupy her time while her brother is away. Note that there is no T.V., Nintendo DS, or computer involved in this chapter. Just an imagination and a supportive mother. : )

Chapter 2: Sick in Bed -- Amanda is sick and repeatedly asks her mother to bring her things. A very cute and all too true-to-life account of a toddler who is told to stay in bed until she feels better. Personally, I appreciate the fact that Mother Pig is so loving to her "Sweet Potato." Another subtle message I picked up in this chapter is the way a little girl will emulate her mother's actions and words while "interacting" with her stuffed animals or dolls.

Chapter 3: The Big Mess -- Amanda Pig does not want to clean up her room, so Father Pig decides to let her have it messy. Naturally, the mess gets bigger and creates a whole host of problems as a result. Amanda cannot find her clothes, toys, game pieces, etc. A toy gets broken in the chaos. Amanda finally decides, on her own, that she should clean up the mess.

Chapter 4: The Bad, Sad, Mad Day -- It's a rainy day, Amanda must eat eggs for breakfast and she cannot play outside. Everything seems to be going wrong. Mother loses her temper and yells back at Amanda, but suddenly realizes her error and rectifies the situation by sitting down for lots of mother-daughter hugs. A very sweet account of how to turn the tide and transform a bad day into a good one.

In my opinion, Jean Van Leeuwen is a masterful author - not in the sense of using fancy words (because there are no fancy words in this book), but because she has that rare ability to reach both child and adult with her stories. Children will be able to relate to this book, as with all the rest of the Oliver and Amanda Pig books. My kids routinely laugh out loud while reading (or listening to) the Pig books. Parents, as well, will learn a thing or two from the Pig family, if they stop to read between the lines. We have worn out our copy of this particular book (my copy has a pink cover, which I think is a factor in the reason my daughter requests this book more often than the other Pig books).

These books may not represent the typical modern day family; for this reason, I realize that some families may not fully appreciate them. Father Pig brings home the bacon, er bread, and Mother Pig stays home to care for the family. Mother Pig seems to defer to her husband's judgement, and submits to his decisions. The children are made to eat whatever food is served to them. It is rare to find all these attributes in families these days, however I personally find it refreshing to find these values upheld in such a sweet series of books. It was for this reason that I was compelled to write an e-mail to Mrs. Van Leeuwen to thank her for such a wonderful set of children's books. She was kind enough to personally reply to my e-mail and encourage me to write a book of my own (which has not happened, and may never happen, but I still appreciated her response).