Kirkus Reviews QR Code
THE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES OF MARVELOUS O'HARA SOAPSTONE by Zibby Oneal

THE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES OF MARVELOUS O'HARA SOAPSTONE

By

Pub Date: Sept. 18th, 1972
Publisher: Viking

Lemon and Iris Soapstone like pigs and their father wants to win a blue ribbon, and that's why they acquire Marvelous, who sleeps in the oven but worries the family by running away right in the middle of her christening ceremony. (""That's right, Officer...What do you mean a description? How many pigs are you going to find running around in christening dresses?"") Marvelous is retrieved but not until she's become violently attached to a huge cement dolphin which the indulgent Mr. Soapstone buys from the park to keep the pig from pining away. Soapstone almost loses patience when the statue must be hauled to the hog fair and Marvelous blows her chance for a blue ribbon by biting the judge who pokes her cement friend (""Well you see,"" Iris tells the judge, ""Marvelous and the dolphin are in love""), but the incident itself wins fame for pig and family and in the end Soapstone tells a radio interviewer, ""some pigs like winning blue ribbons. Some don't. I believe the choice should be left up to the pig."" The Soapstones are unpretentious folks (you can just hear them stressing that first syllable as they chew out the ""cement"" dolphin) and if Marvelous' friendship is pretty shallow next to that of Wilbur and Charlotte her adventures will provide a few laughs for those who like their humor as broad as the pampered pig's backside.