Piggy Bunny

by Rachel Vail, Jeremy Tankard (Illustrator)

Overview

A sweet story about a pig who knows he's really a bunny

Most piglets want to be pigs when they grow up. Not Liam. He wants to be a bunny. Even if it takes a lot of practice to learn how to hop...and to eat salad. Even if no one believes that a piggy can be a bunny. With a lot of determination, and a little help from his grandma, Liam is determined to make his dream come true.

For children who put on a cape or a tutu, who dream of being someone or something different, Piggy Bunny by Rachel Vail, with illustrations by Jeremy Tankard, offers a reassuring and fun opportunity to believe in themselves.

This picture book is perfect for families looking for LGBTQ-friendly children's books. The sweet story about about identity, acceptance, and coming out to family members speaks to the queer and transgender experience, as well as the experience of any children who know they're different.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466808584
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	02/14/2012
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Rachel Vail is the author of numerous novels and picture books, including Gorgeous, Ever After, Sometimes I'm Bombaloo, Righty and Lefty, and Justin Case. She lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.

Jeremy Tankard was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and has lived in South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee before making his home in Canada. His books include Grumpy Bird, Boo Hoo Bird (both for Scholastic) and Me Hungry! (Candlewick). Praise for his work includes: "He's a talented little oaf" (his mom), and "I love the magic noodly bits!" (some art director for some magazine).

Editorial Reviews

A small piglet with a big dream—to be the Easter Bunny—will have readers laughing out loud in this spunky outing about self-esteem. Liam is not good at hopping, doesn’t like salad, fumbles egg deliveries, and doesn’t have much family support. But with help from his Web-savvy Grandma, Liam achieves his cotton-tailed vision. Vail excels at conveying childlike emotions and a realistic family dynamic (“You are a piglet... Deal with it,” says Liam’s sister). Liam’s perseverance and his parents’ steadfast support provide a welcome, positive undertone, while Tankard’s stocky, black-lined pigs pop off the pages. Ages 4–6. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

This will be an enjoyably loopy and stealthily reassuring readaloud any time of the year, and it would make a terrifically offbeat Easter entry.” —BCCB, starred review

“Picture books about pigs and bunnies are perennial kid favorites, and this one, which contains nice sentiments about believing in yourself, is likely to be enjoyed long after the Easter Bunny's departure.” —Booklist

“A small piglet with a big dream—to be the Easter Bunny—will have readers laughing out loud in this spunky outing about self-esteem.” —Publishers Weekly

“Liam was born a piglet, but he knew in his heart that he was meant to be the Easter Bunny. …The pigs are drawn in heavy black lines but the body position and other touches like the way arms are held convey the emotions of Liam, family and friends. The colors that make up backgrounds on the pages and varying shades of pink among the pigs add interest.” —Children's Literature

“Tankard's characteristic bold black lines outline his anthropomorphic pigs, and pastel-colored backgrounds reflect Liam's mood.” —School Library Journal

“Though the believe-in-yourself theme has been told in many ways, Liam holds his own with his quiet determination. Who can resist a piglet who introduces himself with 'Hello, my name is Liam and I'll be your Easter Bunny'?” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

K-Gr 1—Liam is a piglet who wants to be the Easter Bunny when he grows up. He practices hopping, eating salad, and delivering eggs in order to convince everyone that he is serious. His friends stare at him because he doesn't look like a bunny and his sister, who is not sure her family even believes in the Easter Bunny, tells him, "you are a piglet, deal with it." His parents try to convince him that they love him just the way he is. Liam is heartbroken that his family and friends do not believe he can accomplish his goal until his grandparents help him to find a solution to his problem—they buy him an Easter Bunny suit on the Internet—and everyone believes in him. Tankard's characteristic bold black lines outline his anthropomorphic pigs, and pastel-colored backgrounds reflect Liam's mood. Young children who play dress up dreaming of being someone else may enjoy the grandparents' support and Liam's transformation; however, not all identity crises can be solved by putting on a suit. Unfortunately, this venture into individuality falls flat.—Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

Another entry in the well-populated genre of animals that experience an existential crisis features a pig who wants to be the Easter Bunny. Liam the piglet practices hopping and delivering eggs. He tries to like salad. And he copes with his siblings, who tease him, and his parents, who offer lots of advice about what a perfect piglet son he is, without any need for change. His grandparents, however, are more supportive of his unusual ambition, and they provide him with an Easter Bunny suit. (They order it from the Internet, as they are modern grandparents who don't do homemade costumes.) The costume isn't perfect, but it gives Liam the confidence to believe in his transformation, and others then accept his new role as well. The understated conclusion could even be interpreted to mean that Liam becomes the Easter Bunny, but each reader can decide what Liam's role really means. Simple cartoon-style illustrations with thick black outlines are set off against bright backgrounds with lots of pink accents playing up the porcine premise. Though the believe-in-yourself theme has been told in many ways, Liam holds his own with his quiet determination. Who can resist a piglet who introduces himself with "Hello, my name is Liam and I'll be your Easter Bunny"? (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews