Pigs In The Mud In The Middle Of The Rud (Hardcover)

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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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: The Blue Sky Press; First Printing edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590568639
• ISBN-13: 978-0590568630
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #949,219 in Books (See Bestsellers 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 21, 2001

By A Customer

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Really cute read aloud book with great pictures, January 18, 2008

By	Karen Hines (Atlanta) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

This is one of our favorite read aloud books at my house. I originally discovered it at the library, and liked it so much I have purchased a copy for my home, as well as a few others I have given as gifts. When I read it aloud, I do a heavy Southern accent, and it always gets a giggle from my audience. The illustrations are just delightful, and really engage the reader, but leave enough to imagination as the story develops that the end is a truly unexpected, delightful giggle.