Pigs Can't Look Up

by Vincent D'Onofrio, Shelly Cunningham (Illustrator)

Overview

Based on the viral tweet from actor Vincent D’Onofrio comes a heartwarming story about a girl, a pig, and a radical act of kindness that will lift even the heaviest of hearts

In this spare picture book, a little girl forges a bond with a pig on her farm, taking note of the unfair truth that because their bodies evolved to forage for food on the ground, pigs can’t look up. Inspired by empathy, the little girl determines and plots to hoist the pig up to see the stars, and in doing so, sees herself. Originally written as a tweet by actor Vincent D’Onofrio, the limited and poetic text morphs into a beautiful story of friendship and kindness in this bold and graphic picture book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647009588
Publisher:	Abrams
Publication date:	05/16/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Vincent D’Onofrio is a world-renowned actor, producer, writer, and director whose credits include Full Metal Jacket, Jurassic World, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He won a Saturn Award for his role in Men in Black, and is the author of Mutha: Stuff and Things, published by Cameron Books. He lives in New York City. Shelly Cunningham is a mixed-media artist. This is her debut picture book. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

"Cunningham’s delicate illustrations are moving and lovely. A tender tale with a reminder to look up and all around us.”—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2023-02-08
A whimsical yet poignant tweet by actor D’Onofrio that went viral in 2019 is the basis for this picture book.

Fact: Pigs can’t look up at the sky. Their neck muscles and spines are built such that their head movements are limited, though they can look up to an extent—e.g., if their heads are tilted. This reality lies at the heart of this minimally worded book in which a brown-skinned girl rigs up a contraption to lift her beloved pet pig, enabling it to see the stars. Girl and pig even become constellations. The girl declares she wants to be treated “that kindly and see the stars for the first time.” We get a sense she means more than literally viewing stars. This is confirmed by the author’s note, in which D’Onofrio talks about “small acts of kindness” and acknowledges people who helped him “broaden my narrow view of what I might be capable of.” He asks: “How do we look beyond ourselves? This girl and this pig only had to look up.” What he and this gentle, thought-provoking book suggest is that we become “stars” if we look around us and notice others who might need us. Adults sharing this book should solicit such ideas from children—as well as additional ways to get pigs to look up. Cunningham’s delicate illustrations are moving and lovely. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A tender tale with a reminder to look up and all around us. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews