Don't Call Me Pig! A Javelina Story (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Editor), Beth Neely (Illustrator), Don Rantz (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Don't Call Me Pig! uses a delightful rhyme and clever colorful illustrations chock full of detail to tell the javelina's story. What exactly is a javelina? The hairy little animal is shaped much like a pig. It has a snout like a pig. It makes grunting noises like a pig. But is it really a pig? No way. Is it some type of large, hairy rodent? Nope. Not at all. Not even close! Javelina is just one name for a creature that lives in large families and roams in herds across the Southwestern deserts. Collared Peccary is another. One thing is certain, after reading this amusing story, readers of all ages will know why they should never, ever call them pigs!

About the Author

Conrad J. Storad grew up in Barberton, Ohio, amidst the belching smokestacks of tire factories, steel mills, and auto assembly plants. He didn't see his first javelina, saguaro cactus, scorpion or rattlesnake up close and personal until 1982, when he began graduate school at Arizona State University. Currently, Storad is the editor of the national award-winning ASU Research Magazine, and is the founding editor of Chain Reaction, a science magazine for young readers. He is also the author of many science and nature books for young adults, including the titles: Don't Ever Cross That Road!, Lizards for Lunch, Little Lords of the Desert, Tarantulas, Scorpions, Sonoran Desert A to Z, and Saguaro Cactus. Storad lives in Tempe, Arizona with his wife Laurie and their miniature double dapple dachshund, Sophie. They enjoy hiking and exploring the wilds of the Sonoran Desert.

Beth Neely and Don Rantz met in Flagstaff, Arizona at Northern Arizona University while studying Fine Art. They soon discovered a mutual love for the outdoors, gardening, cooking, reading, art and each other. They married in 1993 and began their artistic collaboration. They now live and work in a small historic bungalow in Prescott, Arizona. They share their house with their two cats and a backyard menagerie of raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. Members of a small herd of javelinas are frequent visitors. One thing is certain, Beth and Don will never call them pigs! This is their first children's book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: RGU Group (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891795015
• ISBN-13: 978-1891795015
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #416,590 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational and Fun!, November 26, 2006

By	S. Davies (Pinetop, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book teaches children and adults alike about javelinas (and yes, most people think that they are a variety of wild pig - nope, they are "peccaries.") As a resident of Arizona, we actually encounter javelinas from time to time and these encounters are all the more interesting now that we have learned so much from this wonderful book! My children (4 and 6) adore this book and love shouting out the oft repeated refrain: "Don't call me pig!"

In addition to the fun, rhyming text, the book features marvelous and funny illustrations of the javelinas. Both the text and the illustrations describe their physical characteristics and their life in a manner that is appealing even to young children. For adults who want the facts, there are two pages at the end of the book that discuss javelinas in a more narrative manner.

This book should appeal to any child who is curious about wildlife, or the southwestern United States. It would be a great book for teachers too. My kids learned alot, and so did I!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Call Me Pig: A Javelina Story, February 16, 2000

By	Lisa Haynes (U.S.) - See all my reviews

My children recite the catch phrase from this humorous, yet educational look at Javelinas for hours after we read the book. I truly admire Storad's ability to make kids laugh and teach them at the same time.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Call Me Pig, February 3, 2000

By A Customer

What a joy to read this book to my kids! It was not only fun to read this rhyming story, it was educational, too. The illustrations are fabulous. My two young boys asked lots of questions while we read, which just means they were really interested in this animal called a javelina--not a pig! After reading this book, we also obtained "Lizards for Lunch" by the same author and enjoyed it just as much. Now, as we travel across the desert periodically, my kids will be on the lookout for some of the animals they've seen in these books.