Being a Pig is Nice

Finally a book about manners in Being a Pig is Nice: a Child’s-Eye View of Manners.  A little girl is reminded of her manners by her mother.  She begins thinking about a pig.  Clean is not necessary for a pig.  As the little girl day dreams of being muddy, she also is reminded of an opposite point of view – pigs smell!

Sally Lloyd-Jones uses the imagination of a little girl to teach manners.  The little girl then thinks of other animals and the way they eat.  Do they have good manners? animals like an elephant, a snail, a monkey, or owl.  In the end, a monster appears and has the worst manners of them all.  Dan Krall’s illustrations are just as fun as the young lady’s imagination.

The book is a delight and will tickle your students’ funny bones.  The book will teach children manners in a psychological backward way.

Savorings for reading and in writing for Being a Pig is Nice:

• Speech bubbles
• Point of View
• Question/Answer structure
• Vocabulary – inconsiderate, dawdle, atrocious
• Voice – “Ooooh… you’re in trouble…“
• Descriptive of the animals