Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on June 13, 2023
Genres: Picture Book
Pages: 40
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
The beloved classic picture book about adorable pigs enjoying a delightful day from A to Z by Caldecott Honor winner Anita Lobel returns in this beautifully refreshed edition.
Twenty-six playful pigs wake in their pen ready for an adventure. They trot down a country road and discover a field full of surprises! There’s an A for Amanda Pig to admire. A B for Billy Pig to balance on. And Clara Pig found a C that looks like it could use a good cleaning!
Will the playful pigs happily oink their way through the alphabet before it’s time to come back to the pen?
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Playing Pigs is a fun, creative way to invite children to learn (or review) the letters of the alphabet. The book immediately captivates the reader’s imagination through the narrative of twenty-six playful pigs who wake up and go exploring, interact with letters of the alphabet, and then return to their pen at night. The pig’s excitement over learning the alphabet reinforces the idea that learning can be fun.
Between the bookends of the narrative, each page features a pig interacting with a letter of the alphabet. The letter is presented in writing in three ways: (1) the pig’s name, (2) a verb, and (3) the letter itself. 1 and 2 both begin with the letter. For example, “Abigail Pig admired an A.” Visually, the letter is rendered larger than the pig, and the pig interacts with the letter through the action presented in the written verb. In addition, the pages are bordered by a top ribbon (depicting the alphabet in capital letters) and a bottom ribbon (depicting the alphabet in lowercase letters), which subtly reinforce the book’s goal of teaching the alphabet. The book is balanced between girl pigs and boy pigs. If one spread features two boy pigs, soon after another spread will depict two girl pigs.
The pigs’ body language and facial expressions are superbly rendered. They not only tell something about what the pig is doing, but also about their personality, thereby inviting the reader into a story. Playful Pigs is thus more than a tool to learn the alphabet. It engages with the reader on multiple levels to show the alphabet’s role in telling a story. In fact, Little Me would have spun stories for each pig, explaining how they came to be doing what they’re doing and what they think about the letter upon which they are acting.
I’ve seen reviews that criticize the book’s use of some potentially confusing words for young readers. Some concerns are understandable. Instead of offering the abbreviated “Xmas” as an “X” word, the author might have used a proper X-noun like “xylophone” or “x-ray.” And instead of using “zzz’d” as a verb, the author might have substituted a proper Z-verb like “zipped,” “zigzagged,” or “zoned.” In other places, I’m fine with the author’s choice. For example, the name Philip makes an “f” sound instead of the expected “p” sound, and the verb “knit” makes an “n” sound instead of the expected “k” sound. Yet, these tricky words present the opportunity to teach a newer reader about the different sounds that letters of the alphabet make, and more experienced readers will have fun reading something different.
Discussion Questions
Why is Abigail Pig admiring the “a”?
What is another verb that starts with “a”?
(Challenge: name as many “a” verbs as you can!)
Repeat the above questions for the rest of the alphabet.
Recite the 26 letters of the alphabet from A to Z.
(Challenge: recite them backwards from Z to A.)
Ethan says
This seems like a great book to read to kids as they head back to school. Nothing beats a fun way to review their knowledge!