Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch
Mary Peterson, author/illustrator
Mary Peterson has illustrated many books for children, including Ocean Soup, Wiggle and Waggle, No Time to Nap, and Cat on Wheels. Mary lives in Los Angeles, California.
Read more about Mary.
Jennifer Rofé, author
Jennifer Rofé is a children's book agent living in Los Angeles, California. Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch, co-authored by Mary Peterson, is her picture book debut.
Read more about Jennifer.
Kirkus Reviews
"Piggies in the pumpkin patch / peek / and sneak, / under crinkly, / clean sheets, / over growing, / green beans, / behind snoring, sleepy sheep, / into the clover field." Two curious piglets romp through the clover fields and across the barnyard. They play with cats and chase squirrels until they execute an accidental muddy slide into the bull's pen: "Squeal!!" They take off, avoiding shrieking geese and spooky trees. They make it past stinging bees and back to the pumpkin patch where snoozing Mama pig awaits after all that, it's definitely naptime for all! Rofé's first and Peterson's first to co-write as well as illustrate will be a staple for piggie-themed storytimes. The pencil-and-paint illustrations are pudgy, whimsical, frenetic fun, rendered in a muted yellow, brown and green palette. The rhythmic text flows and twists following the oinking hijinks, each preposition nicely bolded. The fun continues on the endpapers, which map the porcine expedition from start to finish.
Booklist
Two black-and-white piglets have a quick barnyard romp--starting in the pumpkin patch but covering all sorts of terrain--and narrowly escape an angry bull before returning safely to the pumpkins for a snooze. Simple, childlike cartoon illustrations awash in soft yellows, oranges, browns, and greens clearly depict the two as they make their way around the periphery of the farm, interacting with an assortment of animals. The minimal text (about eight words per double-page spread), highlighting the prepositions (under, over, behind, into, etc.), is often playfully placed in the illustration, especially when the excitement picks up. With the crisp, action-filled text, this would be just right for sharing with the youngest of audiences. (The loud "Squeal!!" of the pigs after encountering the bull will certainly grab listeners' attention.) Pair with other stories set in a barnyard, such as What the Ladybug Heard, by Julia Donaldson (2010), or one of the many tales about pigs out of place, such as No Place for a Pig, by Suzanne Bloom (2003).
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-57091-460-7
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-57091-461-4
E-book PDF
ISBN: 978-1-60734-236-6
Ages: 3-6
Page count: 28
8 1/2 x 9 1/2