Pig the Elf, by Aaron Blabey

How he loved Christmas!
He’d chortle with glee –
‘The presents! The presents!
For ME! ME! ME! ME!

It’s Christmas Eve and Pig and his patient friend Trevor are excited. But while Trevor has written to Santa asking just for ‘something nice’, Pig has written an almost-endless list of demands. And, while Trevor knows that Santa will come when he’s asleep, Pig is determined to stay up to see Santa. The waiting is hard, but harder still is his realisation that Santa hasn’t brought him everything on his list. He wants to make Santa pay – with hilarious results.

Pig the Elf is the latest in this much-loved picture book series featuring Pig the selfish (yet somehow lovable) Pug and his long-suffering friend Trevor the dachsund. In bouncy, humorous verse complemented with big generous acrylic illustrations, this is sure to be a favourite this Christmas season.
Pig the Elf, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2016
ISBN 9781760154271

Pig the Winner, by Aaron Blabey

Pig was a Pug
and I’m sorry to say,
if he didn’t come first
it would ruin his day…

Believe it or not,
he was quite hard to beat.
And the reason was simple …
Yes, Pig was a cheat.

Pig the Pug is back in his third laugh out loud adventure and, as always, Trevor the Dachshund is right by his side. This time, Pug is doing whatever it takes to win, and making a contest or race from everything he and Trevor do. But, when he insists on an eating race, he eats more than he intended, ending up with the bowl wedged in his mouth.

Using jaunty, well-written rhyming text Pig the Winner tells a tale that is chiefly humorous but also has a gentle message about competitiveness and friendship. Blabey’s illustrations , in acrylic as well as pen and pencil, are filled with funny details, and the facial expressions of both characters are hilarious.

Perfect for read-aloud sharing, Pig the Winner is a winner.

Pig the Winner, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2016
ISBN 9781760154288

I Need a Hug, by Aaron Blabey

I need a hug.
Won’t you cuddle me, Lou?
What? With those spikes?
Get away from me! Shoo!

A poor old prickly hedgehog is desperate for a hug, but nobody will give him one. They run away from him/her, complaining about spikes and prickles. It seems s/he’s destined not to be hugged, until something scarier than a prickly hedgehog scares the other animals away – and the hedgehog meets a snake, who only wants a kiss.

A funny rhyming tale about friendship, hugs and kisses, I Need a Hug will delight young readers with its humour and its gentle message about acceptance and not judging others by their appearance.
From the creator of Pig the Pug, I Need a Hug is lots of fun.

I Need a Hug, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781743629093

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas, by Aaron Blabey

We don’t eat apples!
We don’t eat beans!
We don’t eat veggies!
We don’t eat greens!
We don’t eat melons!
We don’t eat bananas!
And the reason is simple, mate.
We are
PIRANAHAS!

Brian loves bananas, and he’d like his friends to like them, too. The problem is – they are piranhas, and they’d prefer to eat knees, feet and even bums. But Brian persists – offering them all kinds of fruit and vegetable treats. Eventually his friends agree to try a fruit platter if he’ll stop his chatter. They do give it a try but, to Brian’s chagrin, even though they do think the fruit is nice, they still prefer bum.

Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas is a short, silly book which kids will adore. The text consists of dialogue between Brian and the other piranhas, with narration not needed. Blabey’s ability to show so much animation in the faces of the fish – largely through movement of their eyes – is amazing.

The rhyming text flows well and there will be giggles at the concept and its execution. Very clever.

Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781743625781

The Bad Guys Episode 1 by Aaron Blabey

Pssst!

Hey, you!

Yeah, you.

Get over here.

I said, GET OVER HERE.

What’s the problem?

Oh, I see.

Yeah, I get it …

Pssst!

Hey, you!

Yeah, you.

Get over here.

I said, GET OVER HERE.

What’s the problem?

Oh, I see.

Yeah, I get it …

The Big Bad Wolf begins this tale of good deeds done by bad characters by insisting the reader come closer. Bad Guys are just misunderstood, you see. He convenes the first meeting of the ‘Good Guys’, which includes a snake, a shark and a piranha. Each of them has a rap sheet longer than his arms. But Wolf is sure his plan will work. Trouble is, before he can convince the general public that these are now the Good Guys, he has to convince his crew. When words won’t cut it, he takes them out on a mission to do some ‘Good Deeds’. How can it go wrong? Presented in graphic novel format with varying text types and sizes and images on each opening.

Aaron Blabey has written many successful picture books and The Bad Guys is his first longer text. The Bad Guys is the first in a new series. The text is short and fully supported and extended by illustrations. Young fans of Blabey’s work will be engaged with this fast-moving story. Adult fans will be chuckling too. As with all his work, there’s a deeper message about making judgements about character purely on past actions and appearance. Wolf may be struggling with stereotypes, but he wins points for persistence. Recommended for newly independent readers and any fans of Blabey’s picture books.

The Bad Guys : Episode 1, Aaron Blabey

Scholastic 2015 ISBN: 9781760150426

 

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Pig the Fibber, by Aaron Blabey

Pig the FibberPig was a Pug
and I’m sorry to say
he would often tell lies
just to get his own way.

The delightful (though dastardly) Pig the Pug is back. This time he is telling lies – big lies, to keep himself out of trouble and long-suffering Trevor the Dachsund well and truly in it. Whenever there is a mess, or something is broken, or there is a smell in the air, Pig blames poor Trevor. But when he goes to great lengths to get Trevor in trouble so that he can steal all the dog biscuits, Pig ends up learning his lesson the hard way.

Pig the Fibber is the second story featuring Pig, following on from Pig the Pug. But, while youngsters who loveed the first will be delighted to see Pig and Trevor back for another adventure, the second books stands equally well alone.

The rhyming text is a delight to read aloud, with lots of humour and a gentle lesson about lying, and the illustrations, in acrylic with pens and pencils, are also humorous. Pig’s big eyes and toothy grin make him endearing even when he’s being mean, and Trevor’s loyalty in spite of being hard done by is captured chiefly through the illustrations, particulalry the penultimate one which shows him hugging the injured Pig, a blissful smile on his face.

Lots of fun.

Pig the Fibber, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781743629062

Available from good bookstores and online.

Thelma the Unicorn, by Aaron Blabey

Thelma the UnicornThelma felt a little sad,
In fact, she felt forlorn.
You see, she wished with all her heart
to be a unicorn.

Thelma the horse wants to be a unicorn, and with the help of a carefully placed carrot and an accident involving pink paint and glitter, her wish comes true. Soon she is famous, and travelling the world to the cheers of her adoring fans. But Thelma discovers that fame has its pitfalls, and finds he self wanting to be back home with her best friend Otis.

Thelma the Unicorn is a humorous, endearing story in rhyme about self acceptance, popularity and the pitfalls of the celebrity lifestyle. Thelma seems silly, but she learns from her mistakes, and Otis is a loyal friend. The acrylic illustrations are a wonderful complement to the text, with a diverse cast of characters all with big eyes and lots of toothy smiles. Thelma’s pink sparkly coat is contrasted with dark colours as well as use of white space.

The rhyming text rolls along with no scansion problem,s making it perfect for reading aloud, and for the repeated readings which it will no doubt demand from young readers.

Thelma the Unicorn, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781743625804

Available from good bookstores and online.

Pig the Pug, by Aaron Blabey

Pig was a Pug
and I’m sorry to say,
he was greedy and selfish
in most every way.

Pig the Pug lives with a gorgeous sausage dog named Trevor, but in spite of Trevor’s attempts to play, Pig is never nice to Trevor, until his efforts to keep all his toys to himself result in a terrible accident.

Pig the Pug is a funny story in rhyme about greediness and sharing – and dogs. The message is clear, but doesn’t get in the way of a simply entertaining, fun story.

The illustrations, in acrylic, bring the two dogs to life. In spite of his greedy nature, Pig is an adorable pug, with a gorgeously expressive face, and Trevor, too, is endearing. They fill the pages, so there is little need for excessive detail. The simplicity of the illustrations allows the dogs’ expressions to tell the story. The looks on both dogs’ faces after the accident says so much – Trevor looks innocently smug at the turn of events, and it is clear that Pig is not happy about the sharing that has resulted.

Love it!

 

Pig the Pug

Pig the Pug, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2014
ISBN 9781743624777

Available from good bookstores and online.