Customer Reviews

Piggie Pie!

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a children's librarian and an important part of my job is to find picture books to read aloud during our story hours. Three important criteria used to select a picture book to read to a group of children are: 1) Does the reader have fun with the story? And will they be able to convey this enthusiasm to the audience? 2) Will the children be enjoying the story? and 3) Are the pictures pleasing to the eye? Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini results in a very enthusiastic YES! to all three of these criteria.

Gritch the Witch is hungry. After deciding she wants to make piggie pie, but has no pigs handy, she begins her quest to find piggies. Upon arriving on Old MacDonald's farm, she spots some delicious looking piggies as she's flying on her broom over the farm. However, when she lands, there isn't a piggie to be found. The piggies are on to her and are disguised in a VERY clever manner, so she won't notice them. Will she find out? What will happen next?

When I read this in one of my story hours, the children (who ranged from toddler age to about 5 years old) were VERY into the story. This book also has that wonderful ability to make adults laugh as well, with some references to other tales and clever pictures. A person who loves to use different voices (such as a screechy witch voice) will have a field day reading this book aloud to children.

This book comes with my very enthusiastic recommendation. Enjoy!

This picture book makes a wonderful read aloud but I would suggest small groups so children can view the humor in the illustrations. The humor, wordplay, and references to other fairy tales and Mother Goose rhymes make this book suitable for a variety of age levels.

Critch the Witch is evil. She wants piggie pie and needs 8 pigs to make it. She flies to the nearest farm where she sky writes, 'Surrender Piggies' to scare them into a pile of pigs. When she lands there isn't a pig in sight. Meanwhile in the barn, the clever pigs are putting on other farm animal disguises. A few dress up as chickens, some wear a cow costume and others pile high enough to act as the farmer. All of them tell here there are No Piggies to be found here. The mad witch spots the big bad wolf (all skin and bones from being tricked so many times by the pigs and never getting a good meal) and decides to Have Him for lunch instead. Great illustrations, scary witch pictures for little kids but fun farm pictures for identifying the piggie tails and hooves in each disguise. My only complaint is that this story is a bit wordy.

I love the book and the tape. I used it in my classroom over Halloween and my students loved it too.

Of all the books I read in class, this is an all-time favorite! The kids just LOVE Gritch the Witch and the charming illustration details of her abode, plus the cleverness of the animals on Old MacDonald's farm as they elude her clutches. 5 out of 5 bellylaughs!

What do you do when you want Piggie Pie for breakfast and you are out of piggies? If you are Gritch the Witch, you hop on your broomstick and head for Old MacDonald's farm, which is exactly what happens in the story Piggie Pie! by Margie Palatini. However, these piggies are too smart for Gritch and thwart her attempt to find them by donning costumes of other animals and pretending that there are "No piggies" at Old MacDonald's farm. Any child who hears this story will need to catch his breath from
laughing so hard as Gritch the Witch becomes more frustrated and excited as each page turns. The laughter will reach a crescendo when Gritch meets Mr. Wolf and they each have their own plan for lunch.

Librarians will have to arm wrestle each other to see who gets to be the one to read this story at a story time program. Each page is ripe with numerous opportunities to try out various voices of each of the animals. Howard Fine's illustrations are an integral part of the story because they clarify how the piggies fool Gritch. By the end of this delightfully funny story all who hear it will be rolling in the aisles!

This book was one of the funniest children's books I have read in a long time. It takes humor that both children and adults can enjoy together. The illustrations are awesome! The author and illustrator's styles compliment each other brilliantly. I highly recommend it!

I have to admit that this is one of those books that I probably get more of a kick out of than even the children do. Not only is the story absolutely hilarious, but the art work sort of tickles my fancy. It is good and it is just quirky enough to make it not only funny, but interesting. This is a perfect read aloud book for a group of children.
Gritch the Witch woke up in her usually grouchy, grumpy and foul mood and found she is hungry. After some consideration of her options she decides that she wants something special, something really yummy! This of course means only one thing, "Piggie Pie!" Gritch the Witch checks her cabinet for her recipe book (Old Hag Cookbook), flicks a spider off, and reads the list of ingredients:

1 eye of a fly - no problem
2 shakes of a rattlesnake's rattle - yup, she has it
3 belly hairs of a possum - again, no problem
8 plump piggies - well, good grief we do have a problem here!

After checking the yellow pages in her local phone books she finds an advertisement for Old MacDonald's Farm, which happens to include "piggies!" She has found her pigs. Thus the story really begins.

I do not want to spoil the plot for any of you so suffice to say that Gritch meets her match with a very, very bright bunch of fat little pigs. They plot and plan and come up with the idea of disguises. Each time the witch tries to find the pigs, they are dressed up as chickens, cows, ducks and finally Old MacDonald himself. The word play here is great. The author does a take- off from the original nursery rhyme, mixes it with the Three Little Pigs and ever witch story you ever heard.

Finally, in the end, the witch meets up with a very bedraggled and undernourished Big Bad Wolf who gives her some advice: "Forget about the pigs. They are too tricky. Trust me. I've been chasing three little pigs for days and I'm starving." The witch invites the wolf back to her place to "have him for dinner" and our two "bad guys" go off arm in arm, each feeling they have found the perfect supper. "I always enjoy having a wolf for lunch" says the witch, and the wolf is thinking the same thing, only replaces the word "wolf" with "witch."

The artwork here is simple but extremely detailed. Howard Fine has created one of the ugliest (in a fun way) witches I have seen. All the characters in the book have an almost creepy look to them that the kids seem to delight in and the adult reader will find humorous, if not hilarious. The illustrations are very well executed.

This is a good read and a fun read. It is targeted for those between the ages of 4 and 8. I note that a couple of reviewers have noted that the illustrations upset their preschoolers. I have not encountered that problem, but each parent knows their children and if they feel this would upset them, then hold off another year before reading it to them. Each child develops differently, and like adults, has a different and unique perception of just about everything.

DOn Blankenship
The Ozarks

I think this book was funny and is good for all kids. The reasons I think this is because all the tricks the pigs do to make the witch mad was funny and the ending with her and the wolf.

Apple pie, pumpkin pie, piggie pie? Just what is piggie pie? Margie Palatini writes about Gritch the witch and she wants piggie pie. She has all the ingredients, but she has no pigs. The rhyme and rhythm of words makes it a joy to read. Don't forget the song characters from Farmer in the Dell and Old McDonald. This book is great for students of all ages and adults as well. I use this book in my Kindergarten classroom as a great read aloud. The students like the illustrations as well. Read this book to find out if the pigs are made into piggie pie or if they escape. When you are done read "Zoom Broom" and "The Web Files" by Margie Palatini. Is Gritch still hungry for piggie pie?