Customer Reviews

Hogwood Steps Out: A Good, Good Pig Story

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a marvelous, delightful and wry book. Okay, I admit I'm an adult, but I'm definitely a child at heart, and, boy, did I love this book. Christopher's substantial presence roams through each page of this pig-centric piece. Told from Christopher Hogwood's mighty perspective, the book is simple and clear, yet enormously funny. After all, Christopher was a very special pig. FYI - Christopher Hogwood was a real pig who lived many of this fictional Hogwood's adventures. The illustrations are superb and bring Christopher to majestic life. I can't recommend this book enough for kids and adults alike.

Having read Sy Montgomery's Good Good Pig, I thought Hogwood Steps Out would be a good follow up and satisfy my appetite for more things Hogwood. The artwork by Barry Moser is absolutely fabulous, especially the expressions on Hogwood's face. I especially like the portrayals of the smiling, blissful Hogwood, but my favorite is that of the tolerant, unconcerned Hogwood watching the crazy human coming after his 600 pound self with a broom.

The story is told in the first person, a device that probably works well for a read aloud story. Kids should also get a kick out of Hogwood eating the gardener's lettuce and digging up the woman's lawn. Seeing the backhoe operator run for the hills is also a funny moment. Although seeing Hogwood snuggle with cats and hens is endearing, I would have liked to have seen at least one page showing him enjoying getting his belly rubbed by his loving "feeder."

I like that the writer uses a reasonable vocabulary bank for his young readers. Too many writers for children lose track of verbal limitations of their audience.

Have you ever felt the pull of warm sun and a mild day just as spring is begining to dress the earth in damp greenness after a long winter? Hogwood certainly does. As he meanders about his neighborhood investigating gardens and lawns to the consternation of the owners, Hogwood lets us in on the only perspective he has...a pig perspective. 600 lbs of porcine centricness delighting in the bounty of his world. In this joyful homage to a pig he knew personally, Mansfield's words convey Hogwood's lack of concern about how the humans think the world should proceed while he still appreciates their skill in making his world a better place for him. Anyone who has been cooped up in the house for a long time will recognize Hogwood's pleasure in his first outing of the season. With rich illustrations and simple pig prose, this is lovely book. I, for one, hope Hogwood has more adventures beyond his barn.

I loved "The Good Good Pig" by the same author, but this book for kids doesn't reflect the warmth and love of the book for adults - the picture of the man chasing the pig with a shovel is so violent- he looks really mean and my 2 year old granddaughter is scared by the picture. Same with the woman chasing the pig with a broom - it's violent. And the sequence of pictures doesn't make any sense - all of a sudden after the scary pictures, there's a picture of Hogwood as a baby. Apparently everyone loved this pig. I don't see any of the love people had for the animal in this kids book. It's very disappointing.

If Christopher Hogwood could speak, this would be his voice. And seeing Barry Moser's wonderful illustrations is like having him come back to life. Believe me, for I am
Sy Montgomery
author of The Good Good Pig
and Christopher Hogwood's devoted valet, cook, masseusse and social secretary

I loved roaming around the farm with Christopher Hogwood. Moser's images are at pig eye-level, letting us all experience the smells of mud, fresh lettuce and green grass up close and personal. Some kids may think life on the farm's all hard work and hot sun. Not so! says Hogwood. Life's pretty good. And that's how I felt after reading Mansfield's account of Christopher.

Mansfield created a kid's book that adults warm up to also. The illustrations are touching. Anyone who has ever lived with or around a pig should read this great book.

Dianne Snow
Fresno, California

Hogwood Steps Out is a beautiful book that shows children and adults, alike, that all creatures should be respected and loved. That we must celebrate all lives, such as Christopher Hogwood's! My three nephews (5-9 years old) enjoyed the book immensely as did their grandparents. The story is filled with something that we lack in childrens books these days--a sincerity that surrounds wholeness and everything that is pure and good. On behalf of my nephews and family, this book is highly recommended for children of all ages.
Joel Glick

Christopher Hogwood is such a good natured pig, always thinking the best of his neighbors and their desire to plant gardens and lawns for his pleasure. This is an enjoyable story about an enjoyable and memorable character. And it's a great story for those long winter months when the warmth and outdoor freedom of a spring day can only be anticipated. If only we all loved mud as much as Christopher Hogwood!

The text is a little too long for my picture book taste, but this story of an escaped pig is cute. The illustration of the gardener raising a shovel to the pig seemed unnecessarily violent, but otherwise I enjoyed the illustrations. It's mostly a subtle story, so I think older children would enjoy it more than the younger set.