Mrs. Pig's Bulk Buy (The Pig Family)
by Mary Rayner
Date: 1981
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: Open Library
The piglets are delighted when Mrs. Pig stocks up on ketchup, their favorite food, until they realize it's all they will be eating.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
Mrs. Pig is tired of her kids going through so much ketchup. So, one day, when she sees that ketchup is on sale at the store, she devises a plan. She buys six big jars, and then proceeds to feed the ten piglets ketchup for every meal! That gets old quickly, of course, and the piglets are soon hankering for something besides a condiment!
This is one of the earlier stories about the Pig family, and the illustrations are a little rougher. There are still some fun touches, though, like the diverse school population and the father reading The New Porker magazine.
If you're a fan of the Pig family, this is a book you must read. And if you're not a fan of the Pig family yet, this clever story might get you there.
Quotable moment:
No matter how carefully she flavored the stews or spiced the puddings, the piglets always squealed for tomato ketchup. She had always tried to stop them from having it, and make one bottle last a week, but it was always gobbled up by Monday and then the piglets would grumble until she went to the supermarket again.
"But things will be different soon," thought Mother Pig happily. She reached down one of the big jars and emptied it into a huge soup tureen.
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Overall: 4.5 out of 5
