PIGSTY

by Mark Teague ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1994

Wendell Fultz has a problem picking up after himself. His room is a war zone of toys, clothes, and food. It might even be mistaken for a pigsty. Naturally enough, some pigs move in, increasing in number as the mess grows and grows. Wendell has a fine time with his new pals, playing Monopoly, having pillow fights, bouncing on the bed. The porcine intruders disappear when mom comes for a visit. When Wendell finds his basketball deflated and chomps taken from his baseball cards, he dragoons the porkers into tidying his room. They grudgingly comply, then take their leave, Wendell's spotless digs no longer to their liking. Wendell's mended ways are confusing in a story that is artful until this point: After all the fun, the abrupt moralizing has no toehold; it's as forgettable as it was easy to come by. On the other hand, Teague's (The Field Beyond the Outfield, 1992, etc.) illustrations are searingly good, lush cartoony acrylics, and the amiable indolence of the pigs is totally capturing. You'll want to give these good-time Charlies space in your room, rent free.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994

ISBN: 0439598435

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1994

Categories: CHILDREN'S