Pig the Winner

September 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Fans of Pig the Pug will enjoy this follow-up story about this feisty pup. This time around, Pig has to win at everything. Even if it's not a competition, the pug turns it into one. Whether by cheating or throwing a temper tantrum, Pig must be declared the winner. His attitude begins to affect his friendship with Trevor the dachshund. One night, while the two are having dinner, Pig declares an eating competition. Thinking only of winning, Pig eats so fast that he swallows his bowl. It's a good thing Trevor is there to give him the Heimlich maneuver and save his life. Instead of a thank you though, Pig yells "I won!" just as the flying bowl bounces back and bops him on the head. In the end, viewers see Pig with a bandaged head, who is more at ease with the idea of losing-sometimes. Cartoon illustrations of this expressive bug-eyed-pug bring Pig's eccentric character to life. Readers are guaranteed to either love or hate him, but will definitely not feel indifferent. Minimal background allows the characters to really carry the story. VERDICT The important lesson of playing fair and winning (and losing) gracefully is one that everyone should learn, and who better than Pig to teach it? A great addition for storytime collections.-Emily E. Lazio, The New York Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2017
Sore loser and sore winner is always a losing combination."Pig was a pug / and I'm sorry to say, / if he didn't come first, / it would ruin his day." And chubby Pig is hard to beat...because if he's behind, his response is to cheat. And if by some chance he does lose to, say, his long-suffering friend Trevor, he throws a fit until his opponent relents and declares Pig the actual winner. Even if Trevor just wants to play for fun, Pig's response is "It ain't fun till I've WON!" One night at supper, Pig challenges Trevor to a speed-eating contest and doesn't bother waiting for the reluctant Trevor to agree. Pig eats so fast that he swallows his food dish. Trevor saves the day with the Heimlich, sending the dish shooting into the air. After it falls and bonks him on the head, Pig learns his lesson...sort of. Australian author/illustrator Blabey brings back his greedy pug Pig for a second American release (there will be four shortly in his native land). It seems Pig has more problems than just greed. The goggle-eyed cartoon illustrations are fun, funny, and appealingly grotesque in their exaggerated goofiness, and they are a good match for the rhyming text. Pig probably doesn't have any fans per se (who'd like the nasty little booger?), but his antics make learning good sportsdogship fun. (Picture book. 4-8)

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January 1, 2018
The titular pug returns (�cf2]Pig the Pug�cf1]), still greedy and boorish as ever, accompanied by the perfect foil, dachshund Trevor. In �cf2]Winner�cf1], Pig is a sore loser who constantly cheats at games; in �cf2]Elf�cf1], he stalks Santa to get more presents. The tongue-in-cheek rhymes use mildly dark humor to elevate the absurd, lesson-forward stories. The illustrations show cartoonishly bug-eyed Pig in near-constant hysterics.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)