Little Pink Pup
Tender true tale of a pig being raised by a dog family.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this book won the Book of the Year Award for K-2nd grade at the Children's Book Council's 2011 Children's Choice Book Awards. For the awards, kids across the country voted for their favorite books at bookstores, school libraries, and online, casting over 500,000 votes. It tells the real story of a pig being raised by a dog family; there are photographs the author took of the pigs and dogs throughout their journey -- including the pig's birth and the pig being nursed by the dog -- providing a remarkably intimate view into their lives and story. This is a tender tale of how love can cross boundaries, and how deep bonds can form among very different beings.
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What's the Story?
A piglet named Pink is born premature and in danger of dying on a small family farm in West Virginia. To take better care of him, the family moves him into the house, where he is immediately cared for and accepted by their miniature dachshund, Tink, and her new litter of pups. The mama dog takes care of the piglet as if he is her own, nursing and warming him until he grows healthy. The other pups "didn’t mind that Pink looked nothing like them—he was just their size."
Is It Any Good?
Johanna Kerby, who maintains a blog of the goings-on at her little family farm in rural West Virginia, had the foresight to know a good story when she saw it. She took photos of everything from the piglet's birth to the piglet being nursed by the momma dog. The result is a captivating real-life story that provides a unique lesson about love and acceptance. The writing is clear and straightforward, and kids will delight in the photographs of the adorable piglets and pups.
The illustrations are photographs the author took of the pigs and dogs throughout their journey - including the pig's birth and the pig being nursed by the dog - providing a remarkably intimate view into their lives and story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about love and acceptance. Why did the mother dog accept the piglet as her own? Have you ever heard a story similar to this one?
Also, this book won a Children's Choice Book Awards, meaning it was picked by kids as one of their favorite books of the year. Why do you think they picked it? Would you have voted for it? What other books would you pick?
Book Details
- Author: Johanna Kerby
- Genre: Animals
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
- Publication date: June 10, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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