Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. In this clever tale of etiquette and edification, piggish behavior takes on new meaning. Like Karen Katz's No Biting!0 (2002) and Martine Agassi's Hands Are Not for Hitting 0 (2000), Piggy0 gives behavioral cues to little ones still focused on their own worldview and parents fighting the good fight in the war on rude behavior. Comparing the boorish attitude of one pig to the polite demeanor of another, the lesson continually reinforced is positive feedback comes from positive behavior. From the sharing of toys to sloppy table manners (called "utterly disgusting" by a bovine dining companion), the book draws upon situations that will be very familiar to youngsters. The biggest drawback of this fun, funny frolic is that the exemplary manners of the proper porker don't hold a candle to the laugh-out-loud antics of the socially impaired piglet--the one sure to leave a lasting impression on a giggly target audience. Wolff's signature four-legged friends lend a hip, contemporary edge to this swine-time tale. --Terry Glover Copyright 2003 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
First-time author Allen transforms the classic toe-wiggling rhyme into a pig-centric do's-and-don'ts etiquette lesson, covering such subjects as table manners, waiting one's turn and cleaning up after oneself. "This little piggy... closed his mouth while he ate," she writes, as debut illustrator Wolff (who also provides the distinctive hand-lettered texts) portrays the pig's tablemates as awed by his finesse. "I could watch that pig chew all day," reads the thought balloon of an adjacent rabbit, while a zebra dreams, "I'd love to see him tackle a corn on the cob." But on the page that follows, "this little piggy forgot"-and not only are the contents of his mouth clearly visible, but the wall and table are splattered with food, grossing out his dining companions. "I've lost my appetite," thinks a fox. Allen also makes the point that good manners are a matter not just of consideration for others but of self-interest as well-when a piggy politely admires a wolf's teeth, the predator is so pleased that he decides not to eat him after all. However, the perky tone cannot completely disguise the pedantry. Wolff's ink-and-gouache pictures, on the other hand, can be too much of good thing. Overflowing with colors, characters, textures (including painted newsprint) and textual asides, they seem to lack a focal point and thus keep readers at a distance. Ages 2-6. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Fresh and funny illustrations in an eye-popping array of bright hues enliven brief, understated pairings of good and poor behavior choices. For example, "This little piggy- put her playthings away./This little piggy pouted./This little piggy- spoke kindly to others./This little piggy shouted." These lessons are miles from the dull and didactic, though, as readers follow an engaging animal cast peppered with close-ups of pink piggies in humorous situations. Word balloons show a polite piggy complimenting a wolf on his beautiful teeth, while the wolf thinks, "I guess I won't eat him." Clever use of the page shows a shouting piggy with an enormous stream of words coming out of her mouth, the force of which knocks down animals in its wake. Generous use of bright red, electric blue, and school-bus yellow adds to the fun. Teachers encouraging young children to help create positive group experiences will welcome this lively addition.-Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL (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
This Little Piggyà / Put her playthings away. / This Little Piggy pouted. / This Little Piggyà / Spoke kindly to others. / This Little Piggy shouted. This little etiquette primer, modeled on the traditional rhyme, suffers only from the overuse of distracting comments and thought bubbles containing the reactions of various animals to the piggies' manners. Wolff's expansive candy-colored gouache illustrations say it all--and better. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (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
In a parody of the traditional nursery rhyme, Allen has created a humorous paradigm for etiquette and social behavior. "This little piggy said please and thank you / This little piggy did not / This little piggy . . . closed his mouth while he ate / This little piggy forgot." Sharing, waiting politely, cleaning up, and considering others are all exhibited with a menagerie of animal characters offering dialogue for each situation that either results in a positive or negative outcome when good or bad manners are applied. Wolff"s vibrant and animated figures in gouache on a newsprint-type paper that bleeds through in some areas adds to the quirky, cartoonish critter traits. Amusing, cheerful instruction for the young formative preschooler. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
