Amazon.com

Pig doesn't really believe in magic. But when Crow offers him some magic seeds in exchange for his freshly baked chocolate swirl fudge cake, Pig can't refuse--particularly since Crow says the seeds will take away his loneliness. With lots of tending, Pig's seeds eventually sprout into fine, fat pumpkins. But they're not magic, so the still-lonely Pig bakes a pumpkin pie to comfort himself. Crow, smelling the pie, offers Pig a magic worm in exchange for it. Pig falls for the sly Crow's trick again, and takes the worm into his care--he puts it into a jar with cherry leaves, names it Olive, and feels a little less lonely. One day, Olive escapes, leaving only a brown lump in its place. But eventually the brown lump hatches into a beautiful butterfly! To celebrate, Pig bakes apple-raisin bread pudding, but just as he opens the window to cool the dessert, out flies the lovely Olive Butterfly.

Enter Crow. This time the crafty bird has no problem trading his "magic" for the baked goods. Crushed from the loss of Olive, Pig takes the magic egg without argument, dutifully covering it in flannel pajamas to keep it safe and warm. Just when he's forgotten about it, he hears a "tap! tap! tap!" and out comes a baby Canada goose! From that day on, Pig is lonely no more. He's learned about the hard work of nurturing from the magic seeds, patience from caring for Olive Worm, and wisdom from the moment Olive Butterfly spread her wings and flew away. Though Crow is no hero in this story, he does show Pig that nature itself is magical. Kay Chorao, who raised a caterpillar to prepare for this book, has written and/or illustrated more than 70 books for children. Her detailed, expressive gouache and ink illustrations (reminiscent of Garth Williams's work in Charlotte's Web) make this sweet story of the wonder of nature and the power of hard work to cure loneliness absolutely irresistible. (Preschool to age 6) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A whimsical, thoroughly entertaining story for young readers
Pig is lonely so he bakes a lot to brighten his day: one day he trades a cake for magic seeds which Crow says will dispel loneliness. But Crow's magic doesn't seem to work for him.Repeated attempts finally bring results in this whimsical story for kids with reading skills.

A sweet, sweet book!
As the volunteer librarian at my children's elementary school, I was recently given two hundred dollars to buy picture books for the school library.Pig and Crow was one of the books I chose.The illustrations are charming, the language is simple and strong, and the message is tender andheartwarming without being sappy.After buying the book for the library, Iam buying a copy for myself so that I, too, can own Pig and Crow.(Myeight-year-old twins also enjoyed it!) ... Read more

Book Description

Piglet One, Piglet Two, and Piglet Three just can't seem to keep clean."Oh, you mucky piglets," Mama Pig says."Tonight, you will have a bath."

But the three little piglets hate baths!

So Mama Pig swishes and swashes and adds lots of bubbles, then she plop-plop-plops three rubber ducks into the tub to make the best bathtime ever.

Filled with fun bathtime sounds, Squeaky Clean has adorable illustrations that will make kids wriggle and giggle and piggle with glee.And, like the piglets in the story, kids hate taking baths so parents will love the "bathtime is fun!" message. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Mom and Son Adore this Book
I checked this book out of our local library for my son. He fell in love with it instantly. The vocabulary in the book is so attractive. The illustrations in the book keep my son's imagination so alive. After we read each page, he discusses the pictures and what he thinks about the piglets. This is a wonderful story!!

Perfect Bedtime Book
Squeaky clean is a fun, happy, wonderful book to read to toddlers and pre-scholers at bedtime. It describes the bath routine of Mama pig and her 3 grubby piglets. But best of all after reading the book to your child only 2-3 times they will be joining in with the story and giggling at the terrific illustrations.
It is the perfect after bath book for your clean grublet. Even after reading other bedtime books, my husband & I confess to reaching for our fun daily dose of reading Squeaky Clean to our 3 year old. ... Read more

Book Description

What could be more fun than a big trip? Pig can’t wait to go, but Goat is worried. How will Pig get there? Bicycles are unsteady, horses can throw you off. Cars can break down and trains get stuck in tunnels. A trip can be no vacation at all . . . but leave it to Pig to send Goat’s worries packing and turn tricky travel into smooth sailing!

Valeri Gorbachev has brought his comic characters from Where is the Apple Pie? and One Rainy Day to another neighborly story of fun and friendship. ... Read more

Book Description

"It has always been one of my favorite fairy tales. It is a joyful, heart-thrilling story in which children can easily recognize their emotions. They see their own doubt, insecurity, fear, and courage in every one of the little pigs and in the big bad wolf himself, which makes the story an empowering tale about growing up and acquiring intelligence and cleverness." - Marie-Louise Gay ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The 3 Little Pigs
This is the classic story-version where the first two pigs areeaten by the wolf. What makes this version so very special are thewonderful light-hearted illustrations. I am a kinder teacher and this version can't help but to engage my students. Trust me, your kids will love it!

3 pigs
the book taught me a lot of morals. The book was very interesting and it was easy to read with a lot of good messages. I know that i wont ever mess with another wolf with so much breath again. Why are pigs so mean? He just wanted a place to stay and a warm meal... ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

From the first day at a new school, Lisa and her bossy classmate, Angel, begin playing a seriesof mischievous tricks on each other, with the class guinea pigs as unwitting accomplices, untilthe teacher steps in. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Is your child a little monkey one day and a piggie the next? What better way to get in character than to put on a plush headband with ears, and clip on a furry tail! These unique dress-up play sets are just right for sparking young imaginations-and at just the right price. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this charming retelling of the "Jack and the Beanstalk" fairy tale, Wibbly the pig searches his garden for his favorite toy, Pigley. Instead, under lift-the-flap leaves, he finds a ladybug, a caterpillar, a snail, "one of these" (a weird little insect), and a bean. Wibbly puts all his things under a flowerpot, and guess what! The bean is "one of those magic ones!" It grows bigger, and--like that curious fellow, Jack--Wibbly is compelled to climb it. What happens at the top is far more pleasant than the traditional account, with nary a "fee-fi-fo-fum" or bloodthirsty giant in sight--only a gentle, perplexed giant who is looking for someone too. What results is a win-win situation for all.

Mick Inkpen's understated humor and eminently appealing watercolors have shown up in his many picture books, including Kipper's Playtime and another Wibbly favorite, Everyone Hide from Wibbly Pig. Young readers and grownups alike will delight in the simple, funny story with the (fairly sturdy) flaps. (Baby to Preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Delightful and sure to charm young readers
Another charming and touching book from Mick Inkpen in which Wibbly Pig looks for his friend Pigley but only finds other interesting items in the garden. These items lead to more adventures before the two friends are re-united, and is sure to delight young lovers of lift-the-flap titles. ... Read more

Book Description

Preston, the world’s most brilliant soccer player, is on his way to the store. He takes his ball and dribbles (right through a flower garden), shoots (hitting Billy the Bully), and scores (knocking off a police officer’s hat). But Preston doesn’t realize that Mr. Wolf, who keeps getting blamed for the pig’s messes, is in hot pursuit--and getting closer every minute!
... Read more

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Preston's Goal
Preston is a star soccer player and scores all of the goals.When he was going home from the store the wolf tried to eat him.Good adventure book with color illustrations, and reminded me of a version of the 3 LittlePigs. Reviewed by one of the the 6th graders. ... Read more

Book Description

Emmett really wanted a pig -- not a stuffed pig, or a glass pig, or a picture of a pig. He wanted a real pig. His parents explained that a boy couldn't keep a pig in a city apartment. But as Emmett's birthday drew near, he felt maybe he would get the pig of his dreams.

First published as An I Can Read Book in 1959, Mary Stolz's warm story is presented here in picture-book format with Garth Williams's illustrations fully colorized by renowned artist Rosemary Wells.

Reviews (1)

A complex topic introduced with simplicity
By presenting 14 different cases, Quinlan demonstrates theinterconnectedness of life in a biome or habitat. Outstanding softpencil drawings illustrate animal and plant species referred to in the text. I'd love to buy a class set for fourth graders to study in a nature/life science unit. What a great place to begin learning about ecology ...mummified pigs, reindeer skeletons, missing hares, trees that won't grow! ... Read more

Book Description

Children and parents will adore the character of Fiona the Pig, whose personality is as charming as that of the beloved Eloise and Olivia. Zany illustrations add extra humor to the generation gap between parents and children in this engaging story of a precocious pig who loves to be neat, and her parents, who can't understand why she doesn't want to live like a messy pig. Leigh Hobbs' illustrations perfectly capture Fiona's girlish neatness, while conveying a sense that even in her very un-pig-like pursuits, she's really a bit of a mess. ... Read more

Book Description

Every night before she goes to bed, Amanda is sure there's a monster hiding in her room. Maybe it's lurking in the closet. Or behind the curtains.Or even under her bed! Or perhaps her brother Oliver is right, and there are no such things as monsters. In four easy-to-read chapters Amanda tries everything from reciting poetry to building monster traps, until she finds the perfect way to conquer her fears.

A delightful addition to the Amanda and Oliver Pig series, Jean Van Leeuwen and Ann Schweninger have created an exciting yet reassuring tale about being brave and growing up. ... Read more

Book Description

Tap into the minds of the most fun-loving and high-spirited farm animals-pigs! Have you ever wanted to oink like a pig? Have you ever wished for a curly tail? How to Be a Pig provide the tips you'll need for porcine success. Using rhyming verse and fun, quirky illustrations, this book will have you acting like a barnyard animal in no time at all.

Illustrated by Shelly Meredith ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Pleasing Pigs
This book is a great companion to "How to be a cow", my young son's favorite board book. Its got fun rhymes and eye catching pictures. Don't forget to take the "swine pledge" at the end of the book. ... Read more

Book Description

It all started in 1927 when a group of animals on a farm in Upstate New York decided to travel to Florida in search of warmer weather --and faithful fans of the Freddy books have been joyously lapping up each book in the twenty-six book series ever since! Why is Freddy such a popular pig? Most readers will tell you it's because he's a pig for all seasons--a detective, a pilot, a magician, an explorer, a poet, a politician . . . you name it, and Freddy will give it a shot!

In Freddy and the Bean Home News, Freddy's friend Mr. Dimsey, the editor of the Guardian, is ousted for publishing news of Bean Farm in the local newspaper. To ensure that those who are interested might still learn of all the goings-on, Freddy takes it upon himself to found a newspaper of his own and calls it The Bean Home News, the basis for the current Freddy fan club newsletter. It turns out that being a newspaperman isn't quite as easy as Freddy thought it might be, but with typical aplomb he manages to burn the wires! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Solid Wartime Freddy Novel
This one has a reasonably tight plot and many amusing set pieces; we particularly enjoyed Jinx yowling for scrap metal and the business with the frying pan and the ant. Please read it to see what we are talking about; you will be pleased.

The Pig Reporter
This delightful tale is set (and written) right in the midst of World War II. While somewhat irreverent, it makes effective use of many of the effects of the war on rural America. The animals at Bean Farm are patriotic creatures. Anxious to participate in the local scrap iron collection effort (and win Mr. Bean a box of cigars) the animals are determined to use their special qualifications and teamwork to collect the largets amount. Freddy, always the pig on the spot, writes up a report of the animals efforts (and a poem or so) and takes it to The Centerboro Guardian, where his friend Mr. Dimsey has always been willing to include an 'animal' news column.

But the worst has happened. The snooty Mrs. Underdunk has foreclosed on Mr. Dimsey and installed her nephew Mr. Garble in his place. Needless to say, Mr. Garble does not like animals. He likes them even less when the enterprising Freddy collaborates with Mr. Dimsey to start up the Bean Home News. In no time at all Freddy has captured a large readership and Mr. Garble is losing business. When Mrs. Underdunk runs into Freddy on the sidewalk, and claims pig violence, war is declared. The two newspapers start making allegations about the opponents and the stage is set for a political struggle that is more than faintly reminiscent of today's campaigns.

This high flown adventure story has Freddy hiding in jail to avoid being arrested, Hank the horse disguised as a deer on Mrs' Underdunk's lawn, and a newspaper where the chief society reporter is a chicken. Plus, we are treated to the regular antics of the Bean Farm crew. As usual Mrs. Wiggens the Cow laughs too much. Charles the Rooster gets so good at pretending he had a cold that he actually catches one and loses a chance to make a speech. Jinx the cat collects iron by singing for it, and Old Whibley the owl wins a court case and engineers a revolution.

This is one of Walter Brooks best plots. It is well paced and cannot fail to keep up the reader's interest right to the end. Kurt Weise's illustrations are numerous and perfect. As is often in the case, the lesson being taught is "have fun, care for your country, have fun, support your friends, have fun, stand up for what's right." Did I forget to mention "have fun?" I think I like the Freddy the Pig books now more than I did as a child. Then, innocence kept the lessons from being as meaningful as they are to me as an adult. Now they are treasures.

The Bean Home News
This is one of the really great Freddy books, ocurring in the middle of Brooks' career. Written during the Second World War, there are mentions of rationing and scrap iron drives, but most children won't find these a distraction. This seems to be the first appearance of Freddy's nemesis, Herbert Garble, and there are the usual --unpreachy-- lessons, such as not to take onesself too seriously, and plenty of excitement. This is one of the many Freddy books that adults will enjoy as well. Gives one a great excuse to read to your child.

if you've never read a Freddy book , start here!
The Freddy books are awesome! And there are 26 of them! It's as if E.B. White wrote 25 sequels to Charlotte's Web... They got a bit formulaic towards the end -- but even the worst of them are still staggeringly good. And this is one of the best!

Freddy and the Bean Home News is my personal favorite of the seventeen we've read (there are nine more we'd like to find someday); my son's favorite is probably Freddy the Detective (maybe that's the right one to start with -- it has Simon the rat and his family -- but this one's in print).

I love it all -- the language, the characters, the drawings (the ones with Freddy disguised in a sailor suit are particularly fine). And any scene with Old Whibley the owl fills me with pleasure -- sometimes, I sneak the book off the shelf after Morris is asleep just to reread a choice passage. The books are dated in some ways -- though not THAT much, and some of it adds color (a scrap-iron drive for the war effort is a major subplot of this one). But even now, almost 60 years after it was written, it is still completely understandable and frequently hilarious to both children and adults. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Quotations from best children's book series ever
This book was clearly a labor of love, both from Overlook Press and from the many Friends of Freddy (members of an organization devoted to supporting the books) who contributed to it. As Michael Cart points out in his introduction, it's something of a dream come true: the first new Freddy book in over forty years. The dustjacket is colorful but simple. Removing the dustjacket reveals a pleasant surprise: the front cover has a single illustration in the lower right corner, just as the original Freddy books did.

Going within to the text one encounters a splendid introduction by Michael Cart, beginning with a comparison of Freddy and Brooks that leads into a short biography and then into a brief history of the books themselves. He concludes with a celebration of the book itself, since "the delicious quotations you will discover here capture the humor-and the heart-of this wonderful series and remind us, as well, of how American these books are in their celebration of such virtues as honesty, bravery, responsibility, and, yes, common sense."

Turning the page brings one to the beginning of the "delicious quotations," which are organized by topic. They start, appropriately enough, with Friendship, and continuing with Bravery; Responsibility; Animal Aspects; Politics and the Law of the Farm; Imagination; Honesty; People, Pigs, and Popular Opinion; and Humor.

I won't go much into the quotations, since not only should just about everyone reading this have a pretty good idea of what they are, but I also picked out a bunch of them myself and so am more than a little prejudiced in the matter. Instead, let me talk about the presentation. Each two-page layout contains two or three quotations, with attribution indicating which book each came from, and frequently an appropriate Wiese illlustration. Each page also has a heading at the very top appropriate to the quote or quotes below. This is the only truly original part of the book and tends to be a bit uneven: though some headings are inane or just unnecessary, others supply the context (Sam Jackson the mole seeing his friends through glasses for once, for example), and others are truly inspired. I particularly like the heading for the quote about cats not practicing music unless they are continually rewarded: "Why cats will never get to Carnegie Hall."

It's kind of hard to know what to make of the quotes themselves, though I'm sure my talk at the 1998 Friends of Freddy convention on "Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Freddy the Pig" would have been vastly easier to research if I'd had this book then. It's certainly fun reading and probably a handy reference when you're looking up some homily you can't quite remember. My thanks to Overlook for producing it, and to contributing editor Sarah Koslosky and all of the other Friends of Freddy who helped collect the quotes.

a good book
If you like freddy the pig,you have to get this book ... Read more