The Midwest Book Review - December 1, 2010
Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch is a catchy rhyming tale of mischievous piggies who adventurously crash and dash through clover fields, muddy, matted grass, bee swarms, geese and a bull's pen in a helter skelter odyssey that ends up safe in a peaceful pumpkin patch, where they fall deep asleep. The orange and gold, black and white illustrations of the zany piggies' twisty trail are vivid and arresting. Learning about prepositions is fun and easy with the silly pictures of "Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch," while the sing-song verse will appeal to preschool children ages 2 and up. Children's Literature
Frisky piggies leave their sleeping mother in the pumpkin patch to seek adventure. Just a few words per double page describe their trip, using some rhymes and lots of terse descriptions, like "...under crinkly, clean sheets..." or "...between teasing tabby cats..." as they go past the clover field into the big bull's pen. There's a big squeal, then a "crash and dash," as they run around, through, and past back to the pumpkin patch, where they end "deep asleep." The map of the farm on the end pages traces the pigs' adventure with a dotted line marked with Start and Finish for young readers to follow. But the real fun is found in the lively action the porkers demonstrate as they interact along their way. Pencil line drawings are painted in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, resulting in sharply defined characters set in solid colored backgrounds. The bull is magnificent, with steaming nostrils and angry eyes, fearful indeed. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch has been selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show! "This annual exhibit showcases the original art from the year's best children's books. Selected by a jury of outstanding illustrators, art directors and editors..."
Kirkus, June 15, 2010
Booklist, August 1, 2010
Two black-and-white piglets have a quick barnyard romp--starting in the pumpkin patch but covering all sorts of terrain--and narrowly escape an angry bull before returning safely to the pumpkins for a snooze. Simple, childlike cartoon illustrations awash in soft yellows, oranges, browns, and greens clearly depict the two as they make their way around the periphery of the farm, interacting with an assortment of animals. The minimal text (about eight words per double-page spread), highlighting the prepositions (under, over, behind, into, etc.), is often playfully placed in the illustration, especially when the excitement picks up. With the crisp, action-filled text, this would be just right for sharing with the youngest of audiences. (The loud "Squeal!!" of the pigs after encountering the bull will certainly grab listeners' attention.) Pair with other stories set in a barnyard, such as What the Ladybug Heard, by Julia Donaldson (2010), or one of the many tales about pigs out of place, such as No Place for a Pig, by Suzanne Bloom (2003).
Kirkus Reviews - June 15, 2010 "Piggies in the pumpkin patch / peek / and sneak, / under crinkly, / clean sheets, / over growing, / green beans, / behind snoring, sleepy sheep, / into the clover field." Two curious piglets romp through the clover fields and across the barnyard. They play with cats and chase squirrels until they execute an accidental muddy slide into the bull's pen: "Squeal!!" They take off, avoiding shrieking geese and spooky trees. They make it past stinging bees and back to the pumpkin patch where snoozing Mama pig awaits…after all that, it's definitely naptime for all! Rofé's first and Peterson's first to co-write as well as illustrate will be a staple for piggie-themed storytimes. The pencil-and-paint illustrations are pudgy, whimsical, frenetic fun, rendered in a muted yellow, brown and green palette. The rhythmic text flows and twists following the oinking hijinks, each preposition nicely bolded. The fun continues on the endpapers, which map the porcine expedition from start to finish.