Book Review - THE GOOD LITTLE BAD LITTLE PIG

I'm a sucker for Margaret Wise Brown. Like most parents, I've read "Goodnight Moon" a million times with each of my kids. Since my little girl was born four years ago, I've accidentally come across other Wise Brown books. I never go to the library looking for them, but they somehow find me, often in the most unassuming places (like under the couch near the Storytime Circle... which I happened to be looking under after my toddler threw my keys there).

So, just like every other non-"Goodnight Moon" experience, I came across "The Good Little Bad Little Pig" by accident. I was perusing the books on CD for the Little Lady Librarian, and there atop the shelf lay this little gem. Of course, seeing who the author is, I snatched it right up.

The Good Little Bad Little Pig by Margaret Wise Brown

Ages: 2-7

The story is about Peter, who wants a pig. He doesn't want a dirty little pig, as his mom assumes, instead he wants a clean "good little bad little pig." So, Peter and his mother send a letter to a farmer with their request. He sends them the perkiest of his five baby pigs, which soon arrives to Peter in a box. Through a series of experiences the pig proves itself to be just as Peter wanted, a good little bad little pig. He's good when he does things like eat all the food on his plate, but he's bad when he makes a mess in the process. Get it? In the end, Peter's frustrations with the pig are forgotten as he hugs his pig with this written below: "Sometimes the little kid was good and sometimes he was bad, but he was the best pig any boy ever had?"

It's a cute book. It's a fun read, the illustrations by Dan Yaccarino are bold, geometric and simple. All in all, it's definitely not my favorite MWB. What's my favorite you ask? Ahhh, that's for another post, my friend. There are plenty of Wise Brown posts in your future.

Anyway, back to this one... while I have my opinions, the ones that really matter belong to the smallest people in our home and they L-O-V-E-D -- loved it! The Little Librarian Dude usually pummels me with a series of questions for each page, "Who dat guy?," "Why he do that?," What happening, Mama?" you get it. But for this book, he was absolutely silent, sitting quietly next to me, his chubby little paws folded in his lap. When I asked the Little Lady Librarian what she thought of the book, her answer surprised me. "I like it because I'm like the little pig and you're like Peter." Not making any such connection myself I of course asked, "How?" "Well, most of the time I'm good but sometimes I make bad choices. But you still love me and we're best friends." So tru, but... HUH?! How did I not see that? I'm a little embarrassed to say I made no correlation, but I'm glad she did. I want my kids to get something from each book we read together, whether it's learning an academic concept, manners, a specific subject, or just an important little life truth such as the one my LLL did.

All in all, it's a Margaret Wise Brown book. You can't go wrong. The message is sweet, each page flows, there are sound effects (what kid doesn't enjoy sound effects... or hearing their grown-up make them?) the illustrations cute, there are animals involved. It's a good little, not bad little book.