Pigs In The Mud In The Middle Of The Rud [Hardcover]

Lynn Plourde (Author)

Book Description

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

A lively text and rollicking watercolors combine in the story of a rural farm family that sets out in their Model T Ford down a Maine road only to be stopped by an adamant bunch of farm animals that refuse to budge.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time author Plourde commands attention with this winsomely silly, trippingly rhymed tale. When some indolent pigs block the road (or "rud," as pronounced in Plourde's native Maine), they halt the progress of a family's Model T. In an initial attempt to clear the road hogs, Brother "shooed./ And he squealed./ And he rutted./ And he reeled./ But the pigs didn't budge./ Not a tiny little smudge." Hens, sheep and bulls join the fracas, with each family member failing to shoo the animals. Finally, Grandma realizes, "OOOOO-EEE! Up to me," and, "with her hands on her hips,/ and a snarl on her lips/ ... yelled 'Time for Sup!' " and the animals scatter. While Plourde laces her clever rhymes with funny, nonsensical words (such as "shmuffle" and "smarge"), Caldecott Medalist Schoenherr (Owl Moon) departs a bit from the resoundingly naturalistic style of his previous work to offer up deadpan watercolors of hapless humans and luxuriating animals. An attractive design silhouettes these figures against plenty of clean white space, in the process creating a visual syncopation between the art and the text. Punchy and full of verve, this is one story kids will want to hear many times over. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2. When a family's Model T Ford is blocked by critters wallowing in the rain-soaked road, only Grandma can clear the way. A tongue-twisting text and scenes filled with gooey mud make for laugh-out-loud reading.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: The Blue Sky Press (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590568639
• ISBN-13: 978-0590568630
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,375,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Time Favorite, October 20, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pigs In The Mud In The Middle Of The Rud (Hardcover)

I LOVE reading this book to my kids, and they love it, too. It's not too long, great illustrations, and I swear I know that grandma. The family is off to town for the day but the farm animals are in the road. One by one, the whole family tries to get them out of the way. Finally granny says, "Shoowee, up to me!" and gets the job done by calling out "Time for sup!" She gets covered in mud by the stampeding animals, but she's off to town anyway. Must be read enthusiastically.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Near the Top of Piggy Lit!, May 4, 2006

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 in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud (Hardcover)

A farm family driving their Model T over a single "rud" (at first I thought this was a convenient gimmick, but it's the Maine pronunciation of "rud") is blocked, successively, by groups of pigs, hens, sheep, and bulls. Similarly, each member of the family vacates the Ford, shouting and cajoling to no avail. John Schoenherr's illustrations capture the essence of each animal, and he varies the amount of white space to show the growing people/animal menagerie in the middle of the rud. His compositions, expressive faces, and long-limbed characters recall another favorite illustrator, the great Patricia Polacco.

The short conversational rhymes convey the interrupted road trip and a humorous parody of laconic rural dialogue. The repetitive structure breeds an engaging familiarity , and makes this appropriate for young readers too:

"Sheep in the rud!"
Grandma said.

Oh no. Won't do.
Gotta shoo. But who?

"I'll shoo. That's who."
Mama said.

And she shooed.
And she jeered.
And she baa~ed.
And she sheered.

But the sheep didn't shuffle.
Not a tiny little shmuffle.

It's Grandma, a shadowed backseat driver until she screams "TIME FOR SUP," who finally clears the rud, although at a muddy price. She's the centerpiece of this colorful tall tale whose repetitive structure and vernacular mirror that of Nancy Van Loon's very popular "Possum Comes A-Knockin. The book is an impressive picture book debut for Lynn Plourde, and adds to the work of Caldecott Medal winner Schoenherr. "Pigs" is deceptively simple; with no clever fonts, commercial or celebrity ties, or other gimmicky distractions, the book is a grand achievement, attained solely on the strength of its writing and illustration.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Well-Crafted, Lightheartedly Playful Experience, February 28, 2011

By 

Shanna A. Gonzalez "eyelevelbooks.com" (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud (Hardcover)

This rhythmic, repetitive, and energetic book depicts a 1950's Northeastern family on a trip into town in their Model T Ford. But their forward progress is repeatedly blocked by a variety of ever-increasing animals. Brother, sister, mama, and papa all take a turn to try to clear the way, but all are unsuccessful until Grandma gets "her dander up" and takes decisive action... with dramatic results.

This book has all the qualities toddlers love: predictability, simple slapstick hilarity, rhythm, and drama mixed with a warm family dynamic. Adults will enjoy reading it aloud, and there is enough complexity to draw in older elementary children. Plourde demonstrates a flair with wordplay, effortlessly weaving invented words such as "shmuffle" and "smarge" into her well-written story events, and her subtle interpersonal humor will make this an instant, and repeated, success. Schoenherr's illustrations depart from the more somber mood of Owl Moon into bright watercolors situated against white space, creating a lightheartedly playful experience.