A PIG IS BIG

A PIG IS BIG

a. Bibliographic data: Florian, Douglas. A PIG IS BIG. Ill. by Douglas Florian. New York, New York: Greenwillow Books, 2000. ISBN 9780688171254.

b. Plot summary: A PIG IS BIG is a creative and informative picture book that consists of poems comparing sizes of creatures and objects. The author, Douglas Florian, introduces a big, fat pink pig at the beginning of this book and takes us from something as small as a hat all the way to something as big as the universe!

c. Critical Analysis: 
     A PIG IS BIG is a wonderful book that takes its readers through gradual comparisons of things that are big, bigger, and biggest! The author incorporates objects and concepts that are from our everyday lives, with accurate depictions of size, especially in comparison to one another. A great example of this is on pages 7 and 8, when Florian places a pig and a cow in the same vehicle to represent the size of all three items.

     The rhythm is very pleasant in that it flows nicely, which helps readers stay engaged. The rhymes are consistent throughout the book and help students visualize the next word to come. A question appears on almost every page, which encourages participation from the reader because they have to think of what is bigger than the object on that page. This book is great for a read- aloud because students can answer the multiple questions such as, “What is bigger than a truck?”

     The wording is simplistic, yet ties in relative vocabulary to each object and concept. The illustrations perfectly complement the poem, without being too overbearing. The mix of fiction with non-fiction makes it exciting and silly, all the while teaching a lesson on the topic of size and comparisons.

        

d. Reviews:

“The world widens with each additional line, from the smiling, peachy pig to a city street and eventually to the wide blue universe. Florian's illustrations grow increasingly complex without overwhelming readers with detail…In general, though, the presentation is clever and humorous, well suited for elementary school children prepared to grasp the size of a universe as ‘the biggest thing of all. Compared to it all things seem small.’” 
–Publishers Weekly

"An accessible, well-designed picture book."
-ALA Booklist

“Florian's rhyming, ever-expanding verses make us turn those pages as fast as we can; his fabulous colored pencil and watercolor illustrations are what slow us down to a lingering pace. Explore the concepts of big, bigger, and biggest while giggling at the image of a cow squeezing into a car to drive a pig into town. Florian's well-loved Mammalabilia: Poems and Paintings and Winter Eyes are equally read-aloudable! (Ages 3 to 6)” 
-Emilie Coulter, Amazon.com

“Florian's illustrations, watercolors with colored pencils, expand the text to make this a satisfying picture book. The first illustration shows just the tip of a pig's ear and part of the cap he wears against a midnight-blue, double-page spread. The last page shows the same night sky with the constellation of a pig pinpointed by stars and roughly outlined in white. The artwork is sophisticated, but it remains accessible to young children, who will enjoy the blithe spirit and lively details of the paintings. The smiling pig on the cover beckons kids to this well-designed picture book.” 
-Carolyn Phelan, Booklist

Awards/Honors: Bulletin Blue Ribbon Best of 2000 Award

e. Connections:

I read this book to my bilingual first graders and they asked for it over and over again! They loved being able to participate in the reading and guess which object would come next. We discussed the size of objects in the classroom and compared things using superlative and comparative adjectives, which was great for English language development. 

Students can make their own flipbook starting with something small and moving on to something bigger and bigger. They can incorporate questioning and allow their reader to guess what comes next, as well.