Piggies [Board book]

Audrey Wood (Author), Don Wood (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Children will delight in the antics of ten marvelous little piggies who romp from fingers to toes in this original bedtime fantasy. Don Wood’s oil paintings explode with mirth and magic and will engage all young readers."Trying to describe these luxuriant, witty pictures doesn’t really work, however; seeing is believing, and what luck for us there’s so much to see."--Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

These inventive collaborators ( Heckedy Peg ; The Napping House ) have turned the simple subject of a child's hands into a unique combination of concept and fantasy. As each digit takes on the endearing persona of a "piggy," the stage is set for a whimsical and thought-provoking jaunt. Two fat little piggies--thumbs which each support a rowdy rendering of a porker--stand alone on the opening spread and are soon joined (with a turn of the page) by other outstretched fingers and a cast of "long," "silly," "smart" and "wee" swine. The subjects are depicted in various states ("clean little piggies" gambol amid frothy bubbles), until bedtime arrives and the irrepressible pigs "skip down my tummy, dance on my toes, then run away and hide." Don Wood's subjects have a quirky charm--his vibrant palette is bolstered here by strong pinks, of pig and flesh tones. Although the text is slight, the pages harbor a wealth of visual detail worthy of repeated viewings. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-- In an imaginative play on the fingers-and-toes game, a child's hands introduce two fat, two smart, two tall, two silly, and two wee piggies who cavort on fingertips. Personalities are established early, and children will have fun following a smart reading piggy and a fat eating piggy throughout the book. Belongings such as a teddy bear, balloon, and umbrella can be spotted from page to page, sometimes in out-of-the-way places. Large pages are a perfect backdrop for the antics, which are organized in a series of simple-phrase, double-spread contrasts of hot/cold, clean/dirty, and good--until bedtime when the naughty ones whisk down the tummy, dance on toes, then hide. Time to put them together for fat, smart, tall, silly, and wee goodnight kisses. But one smart piggy is still reading--by flashlight! All of this mischief is done up in oil and begins against a background of warm cream. Then bathing-suited piggies sizzle on bright yellow, snowball against cold blue, bubble up on squeaky-clean pink, squish in mud, behave their best on sky blue, then do their bedtime romp on darkening pages until the final kissing piggies are edged in moonglow. Brilliant colors and large pictures convey the humor to groups, while more subtle details of costume and trappings invite viewers to pore over the antics again and again. "This little piggy . . . " will never be the same. --Jane Saliers, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Board book: 16 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015202638X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152026387
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( W ) > Wood, Audrey & Don
  • #99 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Pigs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A perfect book in a less than perfect format, December 17, 2002

By 

Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Piggies (Board book)

"Piggies" is a classic. Mirthful with beautiful illustrations, this book would be perfect for any youngster under the age of seven. Audrey and Don Wood have collaborated on several award-winning books, and of the ones we've seen, "Piggies" is our favorite.

The story is simple. The child narrator discusses his/her five pairs of piggies (fingers, thumbs), assigning a temperament to each pair. The pairs go through several kinds of environments, changing with the environment. The ten little piggies cavort and act up according to the situation. In the end there is a bedtime coming together of the piggies.

That rather perfunctory summary does no justice to this charming book, especially since the illustrations by Don are spectacular.

And this is the main beef with this board book format of the story (and the sole reason for losing a star.) Several full-size versions of this book exist. At this larger size, the amazing detail of the little pigs emerges. But in the board book format, the illustrations get squeezed down, losing the details that bring out the personalities of the piggies.

This leads to a tough decision: go with the sturdier board book or with the regular hardback. Much depends on how hard your children treat books. Very small children would do better with the board book, while older children would be better off with a larger, less sturdy format.

Still, either way, this is an admirable addition to any young child's library and comes highly recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An old story with a fun new twist and fantatsic illustration, August 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Piggies (Hardcover)

The story is an old one, but this book is highly original. Don Wood's illustrations add a distinct and engaging personality to each of the ten piggies. My 16 month old son loves the goofy faces and elaborate visuals that show basic ideas: tall, wee, hot, cold, clean, dirty, good. I love the clever character twists on each gorgeous page. The subtle and silly sub-texts allow adults to enjoy the book too!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy Piggies, October 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Piggies (Hardcover)

My son (who is now 11) loved this book when he was a toddler. Now his 2 year old sister adores it too. The illustrations are both beautifull and funny. My daughter loves to play "where's the ..." with the action packed pictures. I toddler must read!