In the USA today it is National Pig Day. Dick King Smith would be pleased, because as a pig farmer he thought all pigs were beautiful and wrote a book saying so. Even if you don't think they are beautiful you do have to wonder why they are so endearing in so many children's books. Take the phenomena of Peppa Pig. The three and four year olds just cannot get enough of her. The box that houses her books is always empty. Wibbly Pig is another favourite with the preschoolers and we have a box full of them as well. Then the preschoolers start school and the boxes of Elephant and Piggie become the new favourites. By Year 2 , a new series about pigs becomes a favourite - Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo. See, pigs everywhere! Year 2 also love Wilbur from Charlotte's Web and Babe or The Sheep Pig, as Dick King Smith's book was called long before the movie popularised it.
Added to these books are other series such as Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Pig ..., Colin McNaughton's Preston Pig, Kristi Yamaguchi's ice-skating Poppy and the numerous versions of The Three Little Pigs and the myriad of spoofs or fractured versions of it. And how many children's books are called Pigs Can't Fly? Obviously we should be celebrating Pigs!
My favourite pig characters are Pig Pig, Olivia and of course Toot and Puddle. Pigs might be a mini theme for my kindergarten classes next term. So many terrific books. Thanks for this post I am inspired again.
ReplyDeleteHow could I forget Olivia? She has a box to herself in my library. I have toys for Toot and Puddle and quite a few books and I forgot Leigh Hobbs' Fiona Pig as well.
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