Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! [Hardcover]

David McPhail (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A plethora of pigs descends on the hapless narrator's house in a cleverly rhymed and illustrated tale in which the visiting piggies make mayhem and messes, only to help, unexpectedly, with the clean-up.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525450793
• ISBN-13: 978-0525450795
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

DAVID McPHAIL is the creator of dozens of wonderful books, including Big Brown Bear's Up and Down Day; Sisters; Mole Music, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year; and several recent Green Light Readers for Harcourt. He lives in New Hampshire.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pigs Gone Wild, February 24, 2005

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! (Paperback)

I became a big fan of David McPhail's Pig books after reading his colorful and very funny "Pigs Ahoy." This earlier book again chronicles the age-old theme of man vs. pig with creative rhymes, chaotic scenes, and vivid, imaginative illustrations.

Our hero is a 30-something male who may or may not be dreaming his encounter with a gang of messy, loud pigs: McPhail cleverly leaves open the possibility that his house isn't really inhabited by scores of "black pigs, white pigs, Brown and pink pigs, Making-oatmeal-in-the-sink pigs." In any event, these apparently nocturnal pigs are busy riding skateboards, dressing up, playing in a band, and ordering 50 pizzas! McPhail's rhymes are simple but clever, and he throws in an old favorite just for good measure:

Pigs from England,
Pigs from France,
Pigs in just
Their underpants.

When the young man reads the huge pizza bill, he decides he's had his fill. The pigs beg to stay (they know a good thing when they see it) and he relents, but only if they'll clean up after themselves. Pigs will be pigs, however, and even the cleanup is full of mishaps, messes, and (one suspects) some intentional mischief. Every page of this colorful action-packed book is funny and creative. In one section, McPhail draws gigantic pigs towering over the others, their snouts proud, and their robes loud:

The King of Pigs
The Piggy Queen-
The biggest pigs
I've ever seen.

On the next two pages, dozens of pigs arrive at the house by ship, train, airplane (from which the pigs parachute), and "pigmobile." I thought that the narrative is not as clever as in "Pigs Ahoy," this is more Three Stooges than Marx Brothers. Still, if you just like zany, uncomplicated stories with outrageous pictures, or if you like pigs, or even if you're kind of like a pig yourself, this will fast become a favorite.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!, October 31, 2002

By 

Kaytee (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! (Paperback)

Pig Aplenty, Pig Galore was a great book! It was about a whole bunch of pigs that
invaded a mans house! The man gets tired of all the pigs and finally yells and shouts "Get
Out" then the pigs cry and beg to stay and the man is like fine but you need to sweep and
clean the walls. The pigs did anything to stay with the man! When they were done cleaning
they all went upstairs and brushed there tails and teeth! They all went to bed even the man
and all night all the man could ever think and dream about is pigs, pigs, and more pigs! I
think children would enjoy the funniness of this book and also it is a poem that rhymes and
that is pretty neat also!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift!, February 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! (Paperback)

When the pigs call for a pizza, I start giggling every time I read this to my 10 month old. He loves the pictures and I never tire of the text.