Review: Princess Pig

Summary: Princess? Pig? Both? A crown may not be the perfect accessory for an adorable pig.

One day a sash from a local beauty pageant blows across the farm and lands right on Pig, who takes it as a sign. “I must be a princess,” she squeals. Pony disagrees, but all the other animals in the barnyard are happy to recognize her new title. Pig is delighted to learn that princesses are treated to pretty princess pies, decadent bubble baths, fluffy pillows, and soothing bedtime lullabies. But there is a cost to the grandeur. There are many things that princesses aren’t allowed to do—like sleep late, or roll in the mud, or attend parties in the barn hosted by the common folk. Maybe Pony was right when he said, “It’s a fine thing to be a pig, if a pig is what you are.” -- Knopf Books for Young Readers

It seems like I have been running across a lot of wonderful children's books lately; and PRINCESS PIG, written by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Tim Bowers, is another great read for preschoolers. Reading this book to my son was definitely a treat for me!

There is no doubt that this story about a pig who thinks she is a princess is just adorable. I absolutely loved the pig's reaction to "discovering" that she is a princess as well as how the other animals reacted to her. I especially liked how the pony kept giving the pig a reality check -- it was too cute. My favorite thing about this book, however, is the beautiful illustrations. The colors are just so vibrant and each page has lots for little ones to look at. The pictures capture the feel of the story perfectly, and children and parents alike will appreciate the animals and their facial expressions.

My son enjoyed this book too, but he did say it was a little girly for him. I totally disagreed with him and found myself arguing with a four year old. I think I finally got through to him that just because the book said the word "princess" does not make it a girly book. When we talked about the story in more detail, he did admit that he liked the pony who kept telling the pig that she wasn't a princess. And, I found him laughing on almost every page at either the pictures or what the animals were saying to the pig.

As a mother, I definitely recommend this book -- it has already been awarded as winner of the 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. Not only is the story cute and the pictures just amazing, but this book has a wonderful message. The pig realizes that while she gets a lot of "princess" treatments like bubble baths, she can't do the normal pig things like roll in mud or participate in the barn animals' parties. I love how the pig finally realizes that she is happiest just being herself -- a regular old pig! I think this book gives a terrific message to children that it's always best to accept yourself for what you really are.