Review by Booklist Review
This story of an epic battle over a bath exemplifies the adag. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Farmer wants to bathe all of his animals, but once he gets to the pigsty, the hogs aren't having any of it. Farmer tries various tactics, included disguising himself as a pizza delivery man, but the hogs meet all of his attempts with snappy comebacks painted in mud on boards. Not until Farmer crashes his crop duster into their sty is the argument over ending with Farmer himself gaining a personal appreciation for the joys of a mud bath. Humorous watercolor illustrations show a determined, crafty Farmer, appropriately clad in overalls and oversize hat, and gleefully muddy hogs. The apt choice of brown for the typeface adds to the overall celebration of all things muddy. Young kids will snicker to see Farmer at the end, in his boxers and flip-flops, heading into the pen to join his hogs for a muddy bath.--Foote, Dian. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"One warm day in early May,/ Farmer had a plan/ To spring-clean all his animals/ Till each was spic 'n' span." Thus is the stage set for a contentious barnyard rebellion that's more Click, Clack, Moo than Animal Farm. Wilson's (Bear Snores On) verse never misses a beat as Farmer tries to get his pigs to bathe, and the hogs make their opinions known in mud-spattered signage: "No hogwash for us today./ Pigs love dirt-so go away!" McMullan's (I'm Big!) pigs revel in muddy bliss as Farmer tries one ploy after another, finally filling his crop duster with water and shampoo and planning an aerial assault. When Farmer's plane makes an unexpected landing in the pigpen, he learns about the joys of wallowing. Kids will be plenty entertained by the lanky, bespectacled Farmer's many disguises (and escalating frustration), but the crafty, confident, and expressive pigs hog the spotlight in every scene. It's a highly satisfying story of "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em"; these two children's book veterans make it look easy. Ages 4-8. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Farmer wants to bathe all the animals, but the pigs just won't behave-all they want to do is wallow in the mud. And they tell him so, through a series of increasingly defiant rhyming signs. Farmer pulls every trick he can think of, enticing them with food, posing as a pizza deliveryman, even filling his crop-dust plane with shampoo and water and flying over them. When he crash-lands in the sty, though, Farmer finally learns the joy of a good mud bath. The mayhem is reminiscent of Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (S & S, 2000). While Wilson's rhyming tale is not as wildly original as that story, it's pleasantly bouncy, and McMullan's vibrantly expressive watercolor illustrations add to the fun.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2011. 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
A farmer decides to "spring-clean" his animals. He successfully washes the horses, ducks, and cows, but meets resistance at the pigpen. Voicing their sentiment on mud-written signs, the pigs, shown in McMullan's sassy watercolor illustrations, defy the farmer's attempts at bathing. Through the use of rhyme and clever pig-centric puns, Wilson creates an amusing standoff between farmer and hogs. (c) Copyright 2011. 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
Farmer takes spring cleaning to the extreme in this barnyard romp.In rollicking rhyming verse, Wilson describes how Farmer washes each horse, duck, cow, goat, cat and dog. All goes well. And then it is the hogs' turn. Those sassy porkers board up their pen and write rude messages expressing their displeasure with having to get clean: "No hogwash / for us today. / Pigs love dirt / so go away!" The clever farmer tries to trick those pigs, but to no availa shower by hose instead of a bath just makes more mud for them to wallow in. Bribing them with food fails. His last attempt involves his crop duster and some shampoo, but unfortunately, he forgets the gas. When he crashes into the muddy pigsty, readers may think he'll explode with anger, but they are in for a surprise. With their soft lines and muted colors, McMullan's watercolors lend the book an old-fashioned feel that is echoed in the rather elongated faces of the horses and the overall-clad, fresh-faced farmer. The characters' comical expressions and the pigs' feisty messages to the farmer will leave readers in stitches.Certain partners to Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin's Duck, these hogs (and their mud-loving message) are sure to delight. (Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
