Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4-8. King-Smith, familiar to many as a writer of children's books, was once a farmer who kept pigs. Lucky pigs! As the title makes clear, King-Smith never met one who was anything but beautiful to him, and that's more than he can say for people. The large-type, reader-friendly, conversational text tells children more than what pigs do. It tells what pigs are really like: they love having their backs scratched, they'll talk to you in squeaks and grunts, and they're sometimes very stubborn. With the same gentle humor as the text, Jeram's ink-and-watercolor artwork reflects affectionate delight in the creatures' forms, faces, and habits. As beguiling an introduction to pigs as any child could hope to see. ~--Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-King-Smith knows both his pigs and his intended audience. Using a picture-book format, he flawlessly interlards fond reminiscences of porkers he has known with interesting facts about them that are sure to keep children absorbed. His tone is affectionate, amusing, and informative. Jeram's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, done in soft, earthy colors, are a warm match for the text. They emanate gentle good humor and are spaced attractively. This book succeeds splendidly in providing an appealing introduction to pigs (and to quality nonfiction) for young readers.-Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Jeram's endearing, simply executed watercolors enhance a witty text that examines the ways in which pigs are similar and dissimilar to people. King-Smith's affection for pigs is refreshing. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Allowing that his favorite was fierce-looking Monty, a 600- pound ``large white'' who had ten ``wives'' and was a ``pushover'' who loved to have his head scratched, the author of Babe, the Gallant Pig (1985) ruminates companionably about the habits and characters of pigs. Onetime farmer King-Smith treats his subject with perspicacity; this may be a paean to pigs, embellished with amusing ``things a pig might be saying'' (``Don't you dare pick up one of my babies''), but it's not sentimental; he even observes that a sow may accidentally squash her own young. And there's a sly subtext: pigs are wonderfully varied in size, shape, and color, and also, in many ways the author details, a lot like people--``But all pigs are beautiful.'' Jeram picks up King-Smith's affection and enthusiasm with humorously limned porcines in vigorous pen lines dappled with soft watercolors. Entertaining and genuinely informative: the best yet in the uneven new ``Read and Wonder'' series. (Picture book. 4+)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
