Aunt Pitty Patty's Piggy

When Aunt Pitty Patty takes her young niece Nelly to the market, they come home with a "fine fat piggy." But though they coax, and though they push, that stubborn little piggy refuses to go through the gate, sitting there saying "No, no, no, I will not go!". With Aunt Pitty Patty needed in the

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kitchen, it's up to Nelly to solve the problem, and off she goes, attempting unsuccessfully to enlist the help of a variety of creatures and objects. How will she ever get that pig through the gate, if no one will help her...?

Like many of their other collaborative projects - The Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks And The Three Bears, The Tale Of Tricky Fox - this picture-book adventure from Jim Aylesworth and Barbara McClintock is great fun, and I imagine that its cumulative refrain, in which Nelly repeats the growing list of recalcitrant creatures each time she makes a new request - would make excellent material for reading aloud. This format seemed very familiar to me, although I couldn't quite place it. I'm sure I've read some folktales with a similar structure, but as Aylesworth gives no attribution, and I can't recall a specific source, I'm going to assume that this is an original story inspired by the folkloric tradition.

McClintock's illustrations here are appealing, her Nelly looking like an earlier model of the mischievous Goldilocks from her later book. But though they were enjoyable, somehow they weren't quite the equal of some of her other work. Or perhaps I should say, I didn't appreciate them as much? Done in pencil and watercolor, rather than the ink, watercolor and gouache of so many of McClintock's other titles, they were not as crisp, although her colors were still lovely (love that autumn foliage!). All in all, a winsome little book, although I probably wouldn't rank it amongst my favorites, by this author/illustrator team.

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This folk tale tells the story of Aunt Pitty Patty and her niece Nellie, who go to the store and buy a pig, but when they bring it home, they cannot coax the pig through the gate and into their yard. Nellie is left to encourage the pig's progress, and the enlists the help of many creatures and

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objects, all of which are listed in repetitive fashion, making this book a great option for read aloud and encouraging class participation. The illustrations show what appears to be an old-fashioned farm setting, perhaps set in the late 1800s, which makes it feel homey, cozy, and all the more appealing. This would be a great supplement to a unit on farms, farm animals, or folk tales.

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