Porkenstein

April 8, 8:13 PMChildren's Books ExaminerLori Calabrese

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Children's Books Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

"Dr. Smart Pig was a famous inventor, but he didn't have any friends..."

This is a Halloween book that can be enjoyed all year long. Most kids are fascinated with The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf. So if you've read The Three Little Pigs a million times and need a bit of a change, then this is the book for you. You'll be happy to have a little variety in your life, and your young reader will be happy to still be hearing about the Big Bad Wolf.

The story begins with Dr. Pig who feels alone ever since the Big Bad Wolf ate his two brothers. Then he realizes, he's a famous inventor, so he can invent a friend. He sprints to his lab where he mixes up concoction after concoction. Kids will love the illustrations of his results--a pig fish, a pig bat. He just can't quite seem to get it right until finally, he thinks he's picked all the ingredients and out comes the biggest pig you've ever seen. And he's hungry. News of the giant pig spreads fast (I loved the illustration of the paparazzi snapping photos outside their house window) and the Big Bad Wolf catches a glimpse of the pig on TV. Thinking the pig would be a tasty meal, he heads off to Dr. Pig's house for a feast. In classic Big Bad Wolf style, he disguises himself in a Halloween costume and rings the bell to trick or treat. The giant pig answers the door and after they size each other up, it's the Big Bad Wolf who gets swallowed up by the pig. Nothing like a little payback!

This is a mad-scientist story that stresses the importance of friendship, sure to bring laughs.

Additional Information:

Author: Kathryn Lasky
Illustrator: David Jarvis
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Blue Sky Press (September 1, 2002)
ISBN-10: 059062380X
ISBN-13: 978-0590623803

For more info: 
Porkenstein
Kathryn Lasky's Official Website