Customer Reviews

Don't Call Me Pig! A Javelina Story

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My children recite the catch phrase from this humorous, yet educational look at Javelinas for hours after we read the book. I truly admire Storad's ability to make kids laugh and teach them at the same time.

This book teaches children and adults alike about javelinas (and yes, most people think that they are a variety of wild pig - nope, they are "peccaries.") As a resident of Arizona, we actually encounter javelinas from time to time and these encounters are all the more interesting now that we have learned so much from this wonderful book! My children (4 and 6) adore this book and love shouting out the oft repeated refrain: "Don't call me pig!"

In addition to the fun, rhyming text, the book features marvelous and funny illustrations of the javelinas. Both the text and the illustrations describe their physical characteristics and their life in a manner that is appealing even to young children. For adults who want the facts, there are two pages at the end of the book that discuss javelinas in a more narrative manner.

This book should appeal to any child who is curious about wildlife, or the southwestern United States. It would be a great book for teachers too. My kids learned alot, and so did I!

What a joy to read this book to my kids! It was not only fun to read this rhyming story, it was educational, too. The illustrations are fabulous. My two young boys asked lots of questions while we read, which just means they were really interested in this animal called a javelina--not a pig! After reading this book, we also obtained "Lizards for Lunch" by the same author and enjoyed it just as much. Now, as we travel across the desert periodically, my kids will be on the lookout for some of the animals they've seen in these books.

I used to live in Southern Arizona where there are javelinas. They look like pigs but they are not of the same family. This story is a very cute way of explaining the differences.

Review by 7 year old niece (posted as written):

This is a story about Javelinas. They are not pigs. They are only found in North and South America. They were named by the Spanish because their teeth are like spears. They have bad eyesight. They eat plants and bugs and snakes and fruit and Prickley Pear Cactus. They are warriors and pretect the others from danger even if they get hurt. That is good.

I had never heard of Javelinas before moving to Arizona. The most I heard upon moving here was that they were "like wild pigs" and not to leave my garbage on the curb overnight. Of course, after doing research I discovered they were not pigs at all, but the garbage part is true.

This book was great for my kids and for those who commented on the characters wearing t-shirts, etc.... The book is for kids. It's not supposed to be a great scientific work on the evolutionary differences between javelinas and pigs.

I love this book and after checking it out from the library and seeing the disappointment when it was time to turn it back in...I bought our own copy!

I bought this book for each of my grandchildren, and they all adored it. Storad wrote a wonderful story for children of all ages that is enhanced by beautiful illustrations. What a joy to be able to find a book that is both entertaining and educational!

I was very excited about this book - since I love javelinas - but was quite disappointed when I got it. The rhyming suffers at the expense of trying to educate and squeeze too much information where it doesn't fit. The pictures are not bad but I think it is confusing to have such an educational book about the Southwest and then have animals wearing T-shirts or glasses, and holding signs, etc. If this were a fun story where the animals had a human story line it would make sense, but when you're educating kids about javelinas having poor eyesight and show them wearing glasses - it's just confusing. I was also annoyed that the whole premise of the book is supposed to be that javelinas are not pigs, but the supplemental material at the end of the book fails to mention that pigs and javelinas are not remotely related evolutionarily.