Pignic
Read Aloud Picture Book · 32 pages · Preschool to Grade 1 · Greenwillow Books · Published 2018 · Pre-readers welcome
Pignic is a soft watercolor picture book about a family of pigs who pack a picnic basket and head outside for a perfect day. Matt Phelan wrote and illustrated it. Greenwillow Books published it in 2018. The story follows four little pigs and their parents as a blue sky, a shady tree, and a bright kite turn into small disasters. A tortoise helps a pig come down from a tree. A wolf huffs and puffs and helps the kite take off. And then the rain comes, and the pigs find the last thing they needed for a perfect day. The book is written for a read aloud at Preschool to Grade 1, with one short line per page and watercolor spreads that leave room for the pictures to do the work.
🎬 Storytime Read Aloud
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Key Takeaways
- Four little pigs and their parents pack a picnic basket
- Small disasters turn into small kindnesses from new friends
- A tortoise helps a pig come down from a tree
- A wolf huffs and puffs and the kite goes up
- Rain stops the picnic and starts the mud
- Soft watercolor art with one short line per page
ABOUT THE CREATORS
About the Author and Illustrator
AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR
Matt Phelan
Author and illustrator of the Plum series, Knights vs. Dinosaurs, and soft watercolor picture books like Pignic.
Matt Phelan
Matt Phelan is the author and illustrator of several picture books and graphic novels for young readers, including the five books in the celebrated Plum series, Knights vs. Dinosaurs, Druthers, and Snow White: A Graphic Novel. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Read more on his publisher page
Matt Phelan paints Pignic in soft watercolor spreads with a pastel palette of blues and pinks. The art leaves generous white space around each frame, and the panel layouts move the story forward without crowding the page. The pigs are rosy-cheeked and the tortoise and the wolf are drawn warm.
What Happens in the Story
Four little pigs and their parents pack a picnic basket and head outside. The sky is blue. The tree is shady. The kite is bright. A blue sky, a shady tree, a bright kite, and a full picnic basket. Everything for a perfect day.
Then small disasters start happening. One pig gets stuck in a tree. A friendly tortoise helps the pig come down. A wolf appears and huffs and puffs, and the kite goes up. Then the rain comes and the picnic ends, and the pigs find the last thing they needed for a perfect day. Mud. Lots of mud.
The pigs arrive at the meadow with a full picnic basket and a bright kite.
A wolf huffs and puffs and the kite goes up, in the way only Matt Phelan can draw it.
Why It Works for Family Read Aloud
The book is built for a short attention span. One short sentence per page. Soft watercolor spreads that leave room for the pictures. The page turn arrives before the kid has time to ask what is next, and the next page is always the one the kid was waiting for.
Phelan also plays the kind of trick that holds up on a third reading. The wolf looks like it is going to be the problem. It is not. The pig stuck in the tree looks like it is going to be a problem. It is not. The rain looks like it is going to ruin the day. It does not. The kid who has been read this book twice will turn the page ahead of the parent, and the parent will love that.
A blue sky. A shady tree. A bright kite. And a full picnic basket. Family. And friends. — Pignic
Who This Book Is For
This book works best for the kid who already likes soft, gentle picture books and is ready for one that has a real story. The pigs are rosy-cheeked and the watercolor is warm, which is a good fit for a kid who is still getting used to longer stories. It is also a strong pick for a kid who likes the idea of friends helping out, because the friends in this book are not the friends the parents expected.
It also works as a read aloud for short attention spans. One short sentence per page, watercolor spreads, and a page turn that pays off every time. See our Pignic Read Aloud for the full video.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lesson in the book?
The book does not state a lesson out loud. Four little pigs and their parents pack a picnic basket and head outside. Small disasters happen and new friends help out. The day ends in mud, and the pigs go home muddy and happy. The book is more about a day that turned out well than about a lesson the pigs learned.
Is this book different from Duck & Goose?
Yes. Duck & Goose is about two characters who argue and become friends. Pignic is about a family of pigs who already get along and meet new friends on a picnic. Both books are short, gentle, and built for early read alouds, but the story structure and the art style are different. Duck & Goose has bolder shapes. Pignic has watercolor spreads.
Why do kids like this book?
The book is built for short attention spans. One short sentence per page. Soft watercolor spreads that leave room for the pictures. Phelan also plays a small trick on the reader: the wolf looks like it is going to be the problem, but it is not. The kid who has been read this book twice will turn the page ahead of the parent, and the parent will love that.
What books are like this one?
If your child likes this book, try Druthers by Matt Phelan, Bubbles! by Ben Clanton, Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit! by Lorna Scobie, and We Are Growing! by Laurie Keller and Mo Willems. For a longer pig picture book, try A Piglet Named Mercy by Kate DiCamillo. For a board book about a family pig, try If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff.
What reading level is this book?
The text is sparse, with one short sentence per page. The book is written for a read aloud at Preschool to Grade 1, and the art carries much of the story. Kids can follow the watercolor spreads before they can read the words. It works well as a first picture book for a kid who is ready to listen to a real story.
Is this book part of a series?
No. Pignic is a standalone picture book. Matt Phelan has made several other standalone picture books, including Druthers, and the Plum graphic novel series for older readers. The pigs and the tortoise and the wolf do not appear in the other books, but the watercolor and the short sentences do.
