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CM . . .
. Volume XX Number 29. . . .March 28, 2014
excerpt:
Robert Munsch’s classic story about a girl and a group of pretty smart pigs has now been released in board book form for younger readers. Megan isn’t supposed to let the pigs out of their pen, but she thinks they’re too dumb to go anywhere, even with the gate wide open. Little does she guess that the pigs will not only escape their pen, they’ll also rampage through her house, beat her to school, and even drive the bus on the way home.
For younger readers who are just being introduced to Munsch’s work, and for those who tend to be rougher with their books, this board book adaptation of Pigs might be a good choice. However, for longtime fans of Robert Munsch, and for those looking for a richer experience of this classic story, with the full representation of its fun, zany plot and colourful illustrations, the original picture book version is better. Recommended with Reservations. Meredith Cleversey is a librarian in Cambridge, ON. She loves to read, write, and live in a world of pure imagination.
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The board book version of this tale offers a sturdier book for small hands to grasp and read. However, while there is still a fair bit of text in this edition, the actual story has been condensed from the original picture book. Because of this, certain scenes are cut short, and the storytelling flow is a little awkward. Some scenes are less amusing as well since certain details, such as what the pigs get up to while visiting Megan’s principal, are not featured in this shortened work. Some of the illustrations by Michael Martchenko are also missing in this version, giving readers only a partial experience of the full tale.