This Little Piggy

by Tim Harrington, Tim Harrington (Illustrator)

Overview

Children and parents will find lots to laugh about in indie-rocker Tim Harrington’s first picture book, This Little Piggy. Everybody knows the this-little-piggy game—the big toe is the little piggy who went to market, and the baby toe is the little piggy who went wee wee wee all the way home.
 
But what about the toes on the other foot? It turns out none of those piggies is eating roast beef…. One is playing the drums. One is riding a go-kart. One is dancing. One is flying a plane. And one of the little piggies has built a rocket ship and is traveling into outer space!
 
Now that Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington has added his own hilarious twist, the game of this-little-piggy will never be the same. There is also a free song online that parents can download to go along with the text.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062218087
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/14/2013
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.78(w) x 10.64(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tim Harrington is a writer, performer, and designer. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and is the front man of the influential indie rock band Les Savy Fav. He is also the author and illustrator of This Little Piggy. Tim lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

Tim Harrington is a writer, performer, and designer. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and is the front man of the influential indie rock band Les Savy Fav. He is also the author and illustrator of This Little Piggy. Tim lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

This classic nursery rhyme all but demands counting and wiggling a little one’s toes, but with only five piggies mentioned, what about the other foot? Debut author/illustrator Harrington handily solves that problem, whipping up new adventures for piggies six through 10: “This little piggy dug dancing,” he writes, as a smiling disembodied toe shakes it on the dance floor, “And this little piggy flew planes. This little piggy sold hot dogs. This little piggy loved paints.” The last little piggy has it best, with an intergalactic voyage that involves building a spaceship, meeting aliens, playing gravity tag, and riding solar slides—“Wee! Wee! Wee! All the way down!” Of course, all this “fun stuff” makes the “market-visiting, roast beef–enjoying” piggies jealous, so Harrington supplies new escapades for them, too, as well as a fourth go-around that helps the piggies get ready for bed. Harrington stays true to the cadence of the original, and his crisp, digitally drafted toes—lightly personified with smiling faces (well, toenails) and various accessories—embody the story’s off-kilter sense of humor. Ages 4–8. Agent: Andy McNicol, William Morris Endeavor. (May)

Publishers Weekly

The shoe is on the other foot when these talented piggies get their due, so consider this for storytimes or households that need an extra kick.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A familiar rhyme becomes a fun-loving escapade when the five toes from ‘This Little Piggy’ check out their counterparts on the other foot ... This extension of the story is sure to delight toddlers ... An amusing story, perfect for lap sharing.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

PreS—A familiar rhyme becomes a fun-loving escapade when the five toes from "This Little Piggy" check out their counterparts on the other foot. Instead of going to market and eating roast beef, these piggies' interests include dancing, flying airplanes, selling hot dogs, and painting. A particularly daring piggy builds a spaceship and has intergalactic adventures. The toes on the original foot are then inspired to break out of their rut and have a costume party, chew gum, race go-karts, and play drums, and an extra-daring toe even becomes a superhero. All 10 piggies tire themselves out and read stories, brush their teeth, take a bath, and go z-z-z all the way to sleep. This extension of the story is sure to delight toddlers. The digital illustrations are fun and appealing. Harrington is also a musician and a song that accompanies this book can be accessed on the publisher's website. An amusing story, perfect for lap sharing.—Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT

School Library Journal

The lead singer of the indie rock band Les Savy Fav takes some time to consider the secret lives of toes. Everyone knows the standard "This Little Piggy" rhyme. What we might not have realized is that long after the final "Wee! Wee! Wee!" the toes on the second foot want to have a little fun of their own. Not content to merely dine and take trips to the market, however, these piggies go in for disco dancing, painting and even selling hot dogs. Not to be outdone, the toes on the first foot attempt even wilder antics, like go-kart racing and a secret superhero career. Finally, at the end of the day, all the toes are exhausted, so they all get ready for bed. The sheer exuberance of these digits buoys much of the read. Harrington's simple, colorful digital artwork complements the action remarkably well. Many of the rhymes in the book are near misses, but that's true for the original nursery rhyme, too. Once the text gets to the little toes, an amusing overabundance of page-dominating text comes off as funny (though it is inexplicably split into multiple sentences, where a single run-on text may have been a more effective choice). The shoe is on the other foot when these talented piggies get their due, so consider this for storytimes or households that need an extra kick. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews