06 Jan 2011 2 Comments
"The Adventures of Nanny Piggins" by R.A. Spratt
Mary Poppins, move over—or get shoved out of the way. Nanny Piggins has arrived!
Why didn’t I come up with this idea? The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt (grades 3 – 6) is irreverent fun that is impossible to resist. This is a most excellent choice for out loud bedtime reading that I guarantee will have both parent and child giggling.
As the story opens we learn that Nanny Piggens was most recently employed at the circus as the pig shot out of a cannon. She assumes the title Nanny when she spies a “Help Wanted” sign on the lawn of the Green family. Mrs. Green is dead, and Mr. Green is so tight-fisted he refuses to pay a human nanny. So when a pig with no criminal record who will work for ten cents an hour applies, Mr. Green is delighted.
The children—Derrick, Samantha, and Michael—promptly fall in love with Nanny Piggins because she lets them eat sweets all day, watch as much TV as possible and stay up quite late. She also comes up with the most marvelous ideas, like taking a boat to China to get Chinese takeout.
Even when things don’t exactly work out as planned (and they rarely do), the high-jinks and hilarity make them excellent adventures. Stuffing adjectives into this review is as easy as watching Nanny Piggins stuff pies into her mouth. This smart, sly, funny book is marvelously illustrated with drawings that capture Nanny’s sheer pigginess.
Readers may worry that this first novel is so full of stories about Nanny Piggins that there won’t be enough left for sequels. Never fear! The last line of the book predicts Nanny will be stirring up more adventures, possibly even before breakfast. (synopsis excerpts stolen directly from Booklist)
Jan 06, 2011 @ 22:03:42
I just read this book since my daughter received it as a Christmas gift. It was pretty cute. However, at the very end, the oldest boy holds a knife and contemplates lunging at his father with it. I felt that was completely inappropriate and I was very disappointed that it was included.
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