Can You Make a Piggy Giggle? [Hardcover]

Linda Ashman (Author), Henry Cole (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Can you make a piggy giggle if you tell a silly riddle? What if you polka, flap and fiddle, waddle, yodel, stomp and riddle, tumble, grumble, twirl and wriggle? A chick might snicker, a calf might laugh, a duck might chuckle, a deer might cheer, a turtle might chortle, and a grackle might crackle. . . . But this piggy? He's a tough audience! Preschoolers will giggle plenty as they watch and then try to emulate the exuberant animal antics in this book with wonderful wordplay.

Illustrated by Henry Cole

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

reSchool-K-A young boy is challenged to make a grumpy pig laugh. His various antics-reading riddles, bowing a fiddle, and playing in the mud-cause first a chick, then a calf, then a duck, and then a host of other farm animals to laugh, but the swine never cracks a smile. In a final attempt, the creatures band together and do all of the things that the child tried but there is still no reaction from the grouchy animal. However, attentive readers will notice that on the last page he has a small smile. The vibrant, playful text is rhythmic and frequently rhymes. It moves along quickly and, although there is a repeating formula, it never becomes monotonous. Cole's artful, silly cartoons in deep, bold colors show the anthropomorphic animals dancing, playing, and laughing, and they match the text with their own liveliness and humor. This book is excellent for storytimes or as an introduction to a farm-animals unit, and it could be used to develop preschool theater.
Lynda S. Poling, Long Beach Public Library, CA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

PreS.-K. Story hour alert! Here's one that will provoke little ones' laughter--and the storyteller just might get the giggles, too. The boy in the story is trying to make a pig laugh. He has all kinds of suggestions for provoking chuckles: "Can you make a piggy giggle / if you tell a silly riddle?" No, but "a chick might snicker." So it goes through a whole list of possibilities. Can you make a piggy giggle if you waddle through a puddle? If you flap your arms and yodel? The pig in the pictures is singularly unimpressed, but some of the animals find the boy funny: a deer might cheer and a horse might snort. The recitation of funny actions is repeated at the end--faster. At first glance, Cole's illustrations don't seem to have the impact of the text. But kids who look closely will be treated to an assortment of animals with an amazing range of facial expressions, as well as the unchanging face of one stubborn pig. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1 edition (May 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525468811
• ISBN-13: 978-0525468813
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 11.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Ashman's books have been named to the "best of the year" lists of the New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Child Magazine, New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the IRA/CBC and more. Her poetry and rhyming picture books have been called "as pithy and clever as Ogden Nash at his best" (Kirkus), and reminiscent of Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian and Jack Prelutsky.

Linda lives in Colorado with her husband, Jack Hicks, their son Jackson, and their two dogs. Visit www.lindaashman.com for more information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This little piggy made the Mama giggle, April 28, 2003

By 

DLS (Dracut, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Can You Make a Piggy Giggle? (Hardcover)

I borrowed this book from my local library for my 4 yr. old who is in love with "piggies"! She loved it, as did my 8 yr. old, who giggled and asked me to read it again. We liked it so much, we decided to purchase our own. The rhymes are funny and the illustrations are wonderfully drawn and entertaining. I must admit, I enjoyed it as much as they did.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun!, February 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Can You Make a Piggy Giggle? (Hardcover)

I love reading this book with my 2 1/2 year old. She's asked to read the book every day since we got it. She loves the rhythm of the words and the easy-to-remember phrases. As an adult, it's fun to read aloud with the opportunity towards the end of the book to speed up the words and be a little creative. Best of all it talks about laughter, something that can make us all feel good!