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Book cover of Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!
Fiction - Animals, Children - Fiction & Literature, Children - Poetry

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!

by David McPhail, David M. McPhail
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Overview

One minute, the narrator is quietly reading. The next, pigs are descending on his house--and head--in every imaginable getup, by every available means, from every possible place. The pages of this ALA Notable book burst with some of McPhail's most mischievous art ever. Full-color illustrations.

Pigs galore invade a house and have a wonderful party.

Synopsis

One minute, the narrator is quietly reading. The next, pigs are descending on his house--and head--in every imaginable getup, by every available means, from every possible place. The pages of this ALA Notable book burst with some of McPhail's most mischievous art ever. Full-color illustrations.

Publishers Weekly

Full of humor and slurps, high jinks and burps, the pigs who invade the narrator's quiet evening of reading in this liveliest of picture books not only cause pandemonium, but run up a huge pizza bill--until their host takes charge and makes them clean up their piggy mess. Cavorting through the book's pages are ``Black pigs, white pigs, / Brown and pink pigs, / Making-oatmeal- / In-the-sink pigs.'' They wear tutus, baseball uniforms, crowns, kilts, high hats or just their underpants. They arrive by bus and train, by plane and boat (the ``S.S. Swine ''); eventually, even Elvis (or an Elvis impersonator) shows up, wearing a crown and shades, and sits in a chair in the midst of other pig musicians. With great enthusiasm, the insouciant pigs throw pizzas like frisbees and plead, ``Don't make us go, /Don't say good-bye,'' until the narrator gives them permission to stay so long as they clean up their act. From the narrator's initial Charlie Chaplin slip on a banana peel to his final dream of more ``pigs aplenty, / Pigs galore!'' children will enjoy the rollicking rhythm of the devilishly rambunctious poem and the abundant comedies in the illustrations. This is McPhail at his whimsical best. Ages 3-7. (May)

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Full of humor and slurps, high jinks and burps, the pigs who invade the narrator's quiet evening of reading in this liveliest of picture books not only cause pandemonium, but run up a huge pizza bill--until their host takes charge and makes them clean up their piggy mess. Cavorting through the book's pages are ``Black pigs, white pigs, / Brown and pink pigs, / Making-oatmeal- / In-the-sink pigs.'' They wear tutus, baseball uniforms, crowns, kilts, high hats or just their underpants. They arrive by bus and train, by plane and boat (the ``S.S. Swine ''); eventually, even Elvis (or an Elvis impersonator) shows up, wearing a crown and shades, and sits in a chair in the midst of other pig musicians. With great enthusiasm, the insouciant pigs throw pizzas like frisbees and plead, ``Don't make us go, /Don't say good-bye,'' until the narrator gives them permission to stay so long as they clean up their act. From the narrator's initial Charlie Chaplin slip on a banana peel to his final dream of more ``pigs aplenty, / Pigs galore!'' children will enjoy the rollicking rhythm of the devilishly rambunctious poem and the abundant comedies in the illustrations. This is McPhail at his whimsical best. Ages 3-7. (May)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-- Crunch, munch, slurp, burp! As a man sits, quietly reading, these suspicious sounds and the appearance of mysterious shadows herald a piggy invasion. As pigs of every size, shape , and dress (including Elvis) arrive at his house in every possible vehicle, a riotous party begins and lasts through the night as the perplexed narrator looks on. He finally loses his temper and orders a cleanup before falling asleep surrounded by the revelers, dreaming a piggy dream. McPhail's colorful illustrations and rolling rhyming text perfectly capture the spirit of these invaders. These porkers have real personality and wonderfully expressive faces and come as cowboys, skateboarders, ballplayers, bagpipers, kings, queens, and a rock band. The story is great for reading aloud--the illustrations are large and clear with only four lines of text per page--while individual readers will enjoy looking at the marvelous, funny details on each page. Not only for fans of McPhail's other pig books, this title is a must for all picture-book collections. It's a thoroughly enjoyable romp. --Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public Library

Book Details

Published
December 1, 1996
Publisher
Penguin Group (USA)
Pages
32
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780140553130

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