One morning in the farmyard, Piglet lost her mama.
“Oinkkkkkk!” cried Piglet.
When Piglet loses her mama, the other animals want to help. Duck offers to give her a cuddle, Donkey offers to play chasey and Cat suggests they snooze in the sun. But Piglet wants her mama and won’t be consoled until she finds her. When she does, she will do all those things with Mama.
Piglet and Mama is a delightful story for preschool children about the bond between mother and baby. The images of an increasingly despondent Piglet searching for her Mama culminate in a bleak – but not too dark for young readers – moment, when Piglet covers her eyes and gives one last oinkkkkk, a sound which is echoed by Mama’s response as the pair are reunited and proceed to joyfully do all the things the other farmyard mothers have suggested – a gentle cuddle, a a delighted game of chasey and so on, before settling down for a content snooze in the sun.
Stephen Michael Kings gorgeous illustrations – watercolours outlined in black ink – are gentle yet joyful, with the golden glow of Piglet and Mama’s cuddle especially endearing.
Charming.
Piglet and Mama, by Margaret Wild and Stephen Michael King
Working Title Press, 2004, reprinted 2005