Who could pass by a book called “Piggies in a Polka?” I certainly couldn’t, and so here we are.
The first thing that catches my eye when I open the book is the rich, vibrant coloration of the illustrations. No mamby-pamby pastels – you feel drenched in shades of red, blue, green and yellow, with everything else in between.
As it turns out, all the pigs from all over the holler are gathering for the yearly hootenanny. (I never knew how to spell that word before, and now I do . . .)
We’ve got pigs playing instruments, selecting their partners, and doing the polka under the yellow moon and Japanese lanterns. Then they ask for something faster, and the piggy banjo player picks his little cloven hooves off to please the crowd. They whoop and holler, swinging their partners even faster, as the music gathers up speed. Even those who aren’t dancing can’t help but clap their hands in time to the rousing beat.
The beautiful Porcina makes an appearance in a lovely red silk dress, the flower behind her ear a perfect accent. She plays the castanets most enticingly while singing a lilting song.
We’ve got pigs on nearly every instrument you can imagine, even the kazoo, and other varieties of animal life gather outside to peer in the windows, probably jealous that they aren’t pigs.
The last song of the evening is nice and slow, and the pigs make their way home, to remember all the fun they had that night, and to start looking forward to next year.
Not a picture book with a whole lot of plot, but it’s fun nonetheless and you’ll want to get up and do a polka yourself.
(This book was published in 2003 by Harcourt and was illustrated by Leuyen Pham.)
Related Blogs:
Crispin: the Pig Who Had It All
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon