Pig and Small

by Alex Latimer

Overview

Two very different friends learn how to enjoy each other's company in this hilarious story about finding common ground.

Pig and Bug just want to be friends. But their size difference is proving to be a problem. Pig wants to play games, but Bug is too small. Bug wants to make things for his friend, but Pig is too big!

Just as they've given up all hope for their friendship, Pig has an idea... But will it work?

Pig and Small is another hilariously quirky tale from Alex Latimer, filled with visual puns and wordplay. Latimer combines his bold visual style with an entertaining tale about finding new ways to enjoy friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682630365
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Alex Latimer lives in South Africa near the border of a national park. So when not writing or drawing, he spends his free time shooing baboons out of his lounge. He has written several picture books for children.

Editorial Reviews

"Latimer, whose deadpan visual comedy is always a treat, once again proves he's adept at conveying life lessons with the lightest of touches. Addressing the vicissitudes of friendship in a conversational and slyly funny voice, he reassures readers that liking someone needn't be a matter of all or nothing: a little imagination and understanding can go a long way."—Publishers Weekly

"Precise digitized pencil drawings with quirky knitted-fabric details humorously express the story's message of overcoming difference to make a friendship work."—The Horn Book Guide

"A clever but silly story of friendship despite differences. . . Readers will chuckle as these two opposites negotiate their unusual friendship. The illustrations add lots of humor; the colors are bright, and the pictures are big, which makes the book a good story time choice."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

07/21/2014
Friendship takes work, and it’s often tempting to throw in the towel. Pig and tiny Bug have a rocky start filled with resentment, thoughtlessness, and frustration. Pig takes Bug for a bike ride and “couldn’t help feeling as though he’d done most of the pedaling.” Bug bakes a tiny chocolate cake that Pig eats in one bite, “without appreciating the way Bug had decorated it. But when Pig hits on the idea of taking Bug to the movies (The Pirate, the Ninja, and the Invisible Dog—perhaps the ultimate crowd-pleaser), things turn around in a snap, and the two discover there is plenty they can do together, and that what they can’t do (play catch or hide and seek) is no biggie. Latimer (Lion vs. Rabbit), whose deadpan visual comedy is always a treat, once again proves he’s adept at conveying life lessons with the lightest of touches. Addressing the vicissitudes of friendship in a conversational and slyly funny voice, he reassures readers that liking someone needn’t be a matter of all or nothing: a little imagination and understanding can go a long way. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

07/01/2014
PreS-Gr 2—A clever but silly story of friendship despite differences. Pig is big, at least in relation to Bug, who is so small he's nearly invisible. At first Pig thinks he hears his nose squeaking, but it turns out to be Bug, who just happens to be sitting on Pig's snout waving hello. However, the friendship is rocky right from the start because their respective sizes get in the way. Pig resents doing all the pedaling on the tandem bicycle, and when Bug knits a sweater for his friend, it doesn't come close to fitting. When it seems that all is lost, Pig notices an ad for a movie, and it occurs to him that watching a movie with Bug is an ideal way for the two of them to do something together. And their sizes just don't matter! Readers will chuckle as these two opposites negotiate their unusual friendship. The illustrations add lots of humor; the colors are bright, and the pictures are big, which makes the book a good storytime choice.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

School Library Journal

2014-07-01
Can a pig and a bug become friends, or will the matter of size get in their way? Pig's nose has never squeaked before, but one morning, it does nothing but. It squeaks when he eats, when he feeds the pigeons and when he takes a bath. He can't find an answer in the big medical book, so he inspects his snout himself. What he finds is a squeaky bug who seems to want to be friends. Pig's agreeable. He gets out his tandem bicycle, but when they ride, he feels he does most of the work. Bug makes Pig a cake to apologize—but Pig eats it in one bite without even remarking on the decorations. Their vastly different sizes get in the way of everything they try to do, so they go their separate ways….Then Pig sees an ad for a movie and realizes there are a ton of things the two can do together. They enjoy the movie, a museum, the aquarium and the zoo. There are still things they don't enjoy doing together (like playing catch), but mostly they don't even notice the difference in their sizes any more. South African author-illustrator Latimer isn't quite as successful here as in Lion vs. Rabbit (2013) and other previous, slightly skewed outings. Here the absurdity may induce a smile—but not a laugh. It's a fine message, but it lacks a certain pizzazz. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews