A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea [Hardcover]

Michael Ian Black (Author), Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 7, 2010 | Age Range: 4 and up | Lexile Measure: 970L (What's this?)

Could anything possibly be more fun than a pig parade!? You wouldn't think so. But you'd be wrong. A pig parade is a terrible idea. Pigs hate to march, refuse to wear the uniforms, don't care about floats, and insist on playing country music ballads. Those are just some of the reasons. And trust me, this hysterical book has plenty more!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3–An omniscient narrator explains why a pig parade is not the great idea that one might think it is. Who knew? These barnyard animals hate to march (preferring, inappropriately, to snuffle); flat out refuse to wear majorette uniforms; don't care about building floats (“the only floats pigs care about are root beer floats”); and prefer sad country music ballads to “good, spirited marching band music.” Bold, full-color acrylic illustrations, painterly in their texture, hilariously extend the wacky premise with witty details (bungee cords secure the pigs' ill-fitting majorette uniforms) and varied perspectives (a pig snout snuffles for leftovers in a larger-than-life close-up). The story's conclusion, that “a panda bear parade, on the other hand, would be fantastic,” is just as silly and arbitrary. The tongue-in-cheek tone of the text coupled with the large-scale illustrations and generous trim size make this a surefire storyhour read-aloud that will elicit laughter and cheers of delight.–Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Perhaps you had not even thought about the idea of a pig parade. But as this book makes clear, before you do, dismiss it from your mind. There are sooo many reasons a pig parade is a bad idea. For one thing, pigs hate to march. And they refuse to wear majorette uniforms. This, by the way, is not because they consider them unflattering (“Everybody looks sharp in a majorette uniform”), but they are a bit difficult to put on. They don’t like marching tunes, and their hooves are too small to control the giant balloons. So, a pig parade is a terrible idea . . . but a clever ending offers another option. If this book’s arch-toned text wasn’t flat-out funny enough, Hawkes’ deliciously down-and-dirty art takes the concept to a whole other level. These are not shiny pink porcine paraders we’re talking about (as seen in the opening spread of idealized marchers). Hawkes’ porkers are huge, hairy, beady-eyed snufflers who, contrary to the unseen narrator’s belief, prove that not everyone looks good in a majorette uniform. Filling up the pages, the pigs break instruments, stumble into stampedes, and cry over country music. Horror will mix with hysterical laughter when kids (and adults) get ahold of this one. Preschool-Grade 2. --Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416979220
• ISBN-13: 978-1416979227
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This delightfully zany collection of pigs who wouldn't march on a dare, will give your little ones the giggles! November 9, 2010

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

A pig parade sounds like a lot of fun, but if you really think about it, it is a rotten idea. Yes, you can picture a hundred and one pigs marching down Main Street very easily. The drum majorette blows his whistle, lifts his piggy baton up high, and gets ready to lead the band. Fireworks light up the sky, balloons of all colors fly high, and a special piggy balloon soars high above the crowd. The piggies look sharp in their red and white uniforms. They close their eyes as they play . . . wait a minute. This simply will not work. If you think about pigs, really think about them, you'll know that "The only problem is a pig parade is a terrible idea."

They aren't much into marching or playing musical instruments for that matter. They do like to "snuffle, which is kind of like walking with your nose." Checking out popcorn, yucky lollipops, dropped ice cream cones, and even gum is grand, but being in a marching band simply will not do. Pigs wouldn't wear majorette uniforms on a bet, but rolling around in a mud puddle might excite them, but once "again, a pig parade is a terrible idea." The only kind of floats they might like are root beer floats and as far as music goes, "Pigs have horrible taste in music!" A pig parade is really not a good idea, but there just might be some animals that could march up a storm. Just who could they be?

This delightfully zany collection of pigs who wouldn't march on a dare, will give your little ones the giggles. Imagining a colorful, exciting pig parade marching by would be a lot of fun, but every little one knows that pigs have other ideas. As soon as the page is turned after the pig parade in this book, we really get down to the nitty gritty about pigs and they snuffle and roll their way through the rest of these pages. The artwork is perfectly piggish and, of course, my favorite scene was a two-page spread of a pig's snout. The snout was covered with dirt, cotton candy, dribbling with chocolate, topped off with a lollipop plastered to its side. Oh, and we mustn't forget the fly. If you want to have a rootin' tootin' lot of fun with the pigs who simply aren't suited for a parade, this is one book you should consider!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars EXTRAORDINARY Children's Book! August 9, 2011

By MommaMia VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This book blew me away! We borrowed it from our local library last night and I immediately KNEW I had to review it AND purchase a copy for our kids.

This is THE perfect book to read outloud, the tone and language used by the author are extraordinary! I was so impressed by the readability...the humor...the ease with which the author makes such a silly premise a rousing good time! We laughed together like we haven't done in ages! A joy to read to your little ones...I would think that any child, ages 4-9 would find this one amusing.

Bravo...!!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Our family LOVES this book! June 14, 2011

By em-il-ie

Format:Hardcover

I picked this up at our local library and, once home, realized it was written by a (sigh) celebrity. I have been in this trap before with Fergie's awful kids books and Madonna's plagiarized tales. But we read through it and were laughing out loud! The humor was just right for my 7 year old, but younger kids will not get the jokes. For kids around 6 or 7 and up this is a winner.

It was funny, cute, well illustrated and a bit cheeky. Perfect!
We will definately buy this book and keep in our home reading library.