The Year of the Pig: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac [Hardcover]

Oliver Chin (Author), Miah Alcorn (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2007 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac

"The Year of the Pig (the sequel to 2006's Year of the Dog), is the perfect gift to any new parents you encounter this year." - SFist

“Written is a simple by elegant style by Oliver Chin and joyously illustrated in a cartoon style by Miah Alcorn...The Year Of The Pig is a lively entertainment for boys and girls." - Midwest Book Review

"The Year of the Pig tells the story of Patty, a pig who is criticized for her piggish behavior. In the end, though, her devil-may-care, impulsive side wins the day...[The artwork is] reminiscent of the work of Chuck Jones, the animator behind such Warner Bros. cartoon characters as Bugs Bunny. They look like animation stills...With his new series, Chin wants to bring the ancient stories of the Chinese zodiac to life in a modern context.” - San Francisco Chronicle

The piglet Patricia explores the farm with her parents and Farmer Wu. Growing up is a learning process, as Patty gets advice from her uncles, aunts, and cousins. But being a sensible pig takes practice, as Patty realizes when Farmer Wu loses his jade ring! Can Patty demonstrate her best qualities when others think they aren’t?

Patty’s amusing journey to appreciate her true nature will delight children, new parents, those interested in Asian culture, and lovers of classic pig tales such as Babe and Charlotte's Web.

Oliver Chin is the author of the Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series, The Adventures of WonderBaby: From A to Z, Julie Black Belt, Timmy and Tammy's Train of Thought, Welcome to Monster Isle, and Baltazar and the Flying Pirates.

Jeremiah Alcorn is a professional animator and character designer. He illustrated The Year of the Dog, The Year of the Rat, and The Year of the Ox.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–3—Piglet Patty, new to Farmer Wu's farm, demonstrates qualities associated with those born in the Year of the Pig. The sociable animal quickly learns about her new home and the other Chinese zodiac animals that live there, including the ox, horse, sheep, and dog. However, her impulsive, stubborn, and inquisitive nature resists learning the manners that her aunts and uncles try to teach her. Then Farmer Wu's jade ring disappears, and even cousin dog's sniffing cannot locate it. With Mama and Papa Pig's encouragement, Patty uses her intelligence to sneak out of the barnyard, find the farmer's misplaced glove, and follow its strange scent to the compost heap. With determination, she recovers the missing ring. Her success earns her the respect and acceptance of the farmer, his family, and her barnyard cousins. Computer-generated graphics feature bright colors, angular cartoon figures, and visually appealing textures. The text, written in short sentences, large font, and easy vocabulary, would be suitable for beginning readers, but the many bold illustrations peppered across the pages disrupt the book's flow. Although brief notes mention the origin of the Chinese zodiac and qualities associated with the pig, the purpose of this original story is not to inform but to entertain. Purchase where Chin's The Year of the Dog (Immedium, 2006) is popular or where interest in these zodiac animals is high.—Julie R. Ranelli, Kent Island Branch Library, Stevensville, MD
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Review

"With its delightful narrative and appealing artwork, The Year of the Pig reminds us of the many porcine qualities we would do well to cultivate in ourselves: intelligence, curiosity, sincerity and generosity. How wise are those who learn from pigs rather than eat them!" -- Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig, 2006

Jeremiah Alcorn illustrates the book with expressive angular cartoon characters, capturing the emotions of the animals and animals on their adventures, with full color illustrations on every page. Alcorn was the 2003 winner of the ACME animation competition. In this book, his second collaboration with Chin, he illustrates with humor and gentleness the traits of Patty: inquisitiveness, resilience, intelligence, stubbornness and courage. Patty's character, as well as the other animal and human characters in the book, shines through his simple bright cartoons. From the supercilious scorn of Auntie Horse as she tells Patty to "sleep standing up and not be so noisy" to the amusing expressions as Patty squeezes, squeaks, and slithers her way under the gate, readers young and old will enjoy this journey through the remarkable Year of the Pig. -- ForeWord Magazine, 2007

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Immedium (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597020079
• ISBN-13: 978-1597020077
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #373,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Chinese New Year

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Year Of The Pig" is a lively entertainment for boys and girls., September 6, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Year of the Pig: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac (Hardcover)

Written is a simple by elegant style by Oliver Chin and joyously illustrated in a cartoon style by Miah Alcore, "The Year Of The Pig: Tales From The Chinese Zodiac" is a 36-page picturebook compendium of stories featuring Patti the Pig and Farmer Wu. The adventures of this remarkable little pig are based upon the 5,000 year legacy of the Chinese Zodiac and translated into a contemporary farm setting and includes creatures taken from the Chinese lunar calendar. "The Year Of The Pig" is a lively entertainment for boys and girls. Also very highly recommended for school and community library picturebook collections from Immedium is "The Year Of The Dog", their first title in a series showcasing the charismatic animals of the Chinese New Year.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New Year Piggie, March 9, 2007

By 

Barbara Scapelitte (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Year of the Pig: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac (Hardcover)

I sent this book to my grand children to celebrate Chinese New Year. I haven't actually seen the book, but my family was delighted with it.