BOOK COVER IMAGE:
BOOK SUMMARY:
The Great Pig Search begins with Bert and Ethel perplexed over their runaway pigs. While Ethel understands the pigs' desire to escape the possibility of becoming bacon, Bert is unable to accept their absence. One day, Bert and Ethel receive a postcard from Florida that says, "OINK!" which sets them on their path to solve the mystery of their missing pigs. Ethel is adamant that their trip is a vacation, however, Bert does not enjoy his time as much as Ethel does, spending every second convinced he sees pigs instead of Floridians. One evening, while enjoying dinner and dancing, Bert makes the mistake of grabbing a woman, whom he mistook for a pig. Bert is escorted to the police station, where he has a lot of explaining to do. The next morning, Bert and Ethel go fishing, where Bert almost drowns, trying to capture a fish. A brave individual saves Bert, and together they have their photo taken for the daily news. Before heading home, Ethel reads the paper and discovers that the Bert's hero is a pig. She waits to show the paper to Bert until they arrive back home.
APA REFERENCE OF BOOK:
Christelow, E. (2001). The great pig search. New York: Clarion Books.
IMPRESSIONS:
The illustrations by Cristelow contribute to the mystery of identifying disguised pigs from the humans in the story because the watercolored images blend certain features together, requiring the eye to closely examine the pages. This is a great introduction to solving a puzzle and children will be delighted to distinguish the pigs from among the people. The story provides a guideline for the process in which to solve a mystery such as Bert and Ethel's posing questions and and being constantly on the lookout for clues. Overall, a great introduction to mystery's.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEW:
"PreS-Gr 3 --This story continues the adventures of Bert, Ethel, and their pigs, which began in The Great Pig Escape (Clarion, 1994), but it can be enjoyed independently. Ethel understands why the animals ran away--"Beats being bacon any day"--but Bert, a farmer, just can't let their disappearance go, especially after a postcard arrives with the message, "Oink!" He and Ethel take a trip to Florida, she to vacation, he to look for his missing animals. Readers see pigs everywhere, but he does not, no matter how hard he looks. Bert searching for and missing what is right under his nose will have readers rolling with laughter. Christelow's watercolor and pen-and-India-ink cartoonlike illustrations do a fabulous job of reinforcing the mood and action of the text. They begin "telling" the story on the cover, move to the front endpapers and title-page spread, then blend with and extend the text throughout the book. Some spreads are fully illustrated. In others, the text is on white with the illustrations above, below, or next to it. Some drawings are framed and placed over others or on the white background. Because the illustrations play such an integral role in this comical adventure, it is best suited to independent reading as well as small-group sharing. A sure hit." - Kathleen Simonetta
Reference:
Simonetta, K. (2001). The great pig search [Review of the book The great pig search]. School Library Journal, 47(9), 185.
LIBRARY USES:
The Great Pig Search can be used to create a mystery in the library or introduce a mystery to solve. Photos of pigs can be placed around the library, mingled with pictures of people and students can be guided by foot prints to a location where the mystery will be revealed.
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