If You Give a Pig a Party: A Silly Circular Story About a Pig Planning the Perfect Party for All Her Friends

If You Give... #6

by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Felicia Bond (Illustrator)

"If you give a pig a party, she's going to ask for some balloons..."

If you give a pig a party, she's going to ask for some balloons. When you give her the balloons, she'll want to decorate the house. When she's finished, she'll put on her favorite dress. Then she'll call all her friends—Mouse, Moose, and more.

The little pig from 'If You Give a Pig a Pancake' (1998) is back, and this time she wants to throw a great big party! Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond have created another winning story for this beloved character in the tradition of the best-selling 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' (1985).

Fans of 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' (1985) will love this joyful new addition! This book is a great introduction to the 'If You Give...' Series, and also a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, 'If You Give a Pig a Party' (2005)  is perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to "read it again!" for years to come.

Age: 4-8+
Edition MSRP: US $17⁹⁹ / $21⁹⁹ CAN (ISBN 978-0-06-028326-1)
Manufactured in China

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Storytime, Humor, Kids

28 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Laura Joffe Numeroff is the NYT best-selling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, What Mommies/Daddies Do Best and Raising a Hero. She was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Pratt Institute. Laura grew up as the youngest of three girls, surrounded by art, music, and books. An avid animal lover, Laura has always wanted to write a book about service dogs. She now lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Benji Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Numeroff is going to milk this cash cow for all that it's worth.

I had an idea for a new book. "If you give an author a best selling book, she's going to want 50 more just like it."

[Bree Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading with my first grader and I adored this! We loved the artwork, it was easy for my son to read along with me-I’d read a page and he’d read the next one. He checked the copy we read out from the library but I will definitely be hauling a copy for us to have. I need to stop sleeping on children’s books and underestimating their ability to cheer me up as an adult!

[Rachel Yoder · Rating 2 out of 5]

The original pig and mouse ones are funny, but I'm not a fan of milking ideas dry and I'm afraid that's what this book does.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute, though I felt this one didn't flow as well as some of the others.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago, I was introduced to this series in a multimedia class when the teacher showed us an interactive CD-ROM based on If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I thought the premise was adorable, and I've seen various other books in the series come out throughout the years. I never really bothered to read them, though, until yesterday... when I picked up If You Give a Pig a Party. Oh, my goodness! It's so cute.

The premise of these books is that if you give the character something, it'll lead to a request for something else... and that will lead to a request for something else, and so on. In this book, it starts out with throwing a pig a party. And then she wants balloons. And then she wants to decorate the house...

The illustrations are really cute, and highlight what's going on in the text while also showing things that aren't mentioned. For example, the pig gets her party dress from a doll. And when her animal friends play hide-and-seek, they're all cleverly hidden (even the moose, if you look closely).

I'm definitely going to be seeing if I can get some of the other books in the series. If they're anything like this one, I'll probably enjoy them, too.

[SK Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic. One of my favorite series. The wrap around at the end gets me every time! The illustrations on point.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute children’s picture book about the potentially messy cascade that happens if you give in a give a pig a party!

[Eboni Cook]

Text-to-Text Connection:

If You Give a Pig a Party reminds me of the book If You Give A Mouse A cookie. The two books are fun ways to helps kids to see how one thing can lead to another. In both books one actions resulted in a ripple effect. This book would be great to introduce kids to cause and effect. I would pose a series of "What would happen if? " questions to my students to get them critically thinking.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, my kid is really into this show and this is the only book of the series that we have. He loves it. We have to read it nearly every night. I think the show is somewhat better than the book at showing teamwork and teaching the lessons.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still like the idea of 'unexpected consequences' of a seemingly innocent action, but this story went too far by throwing in a street fair and having the pig want everything, and like a spoiled child, it got absolutely everything it wanted.

My favorite page: the wordless 2-page spread of the hide and seek game. And I liked the re-appearance of the mouse and the moose from the earlier books.

[Esther Soberanis]

Text- to-World Connection

“If You Give A Pig A Party” is another cute addition to the series of Felicia Bond” If You Give Books”. Around the world, young children, and adults love having fun. Many families can relate to this book. Most moms have parties which can last two days .Unlike the pig the child asking for more activities, such as can I bring a friend to the movies or can I have a sleep over? I do really think most children read this book before they ask for a party. The picture in this book let you see all the fun Pig.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn't anything super unique or creative here. But it IS cute and sweet, the story and phrases flow easily for read-aloud, and the illustrations are pretty adorable and detailed. The illustrations add a lot to the story that the text doesn't cover (Pig's party dress is borrowed from a doll, there are a lot more characters playing hide-and-seek that can be found hidden in the pretty illustration spread, etc.). So definitely a fun, vibrant, quick read that can be extended by pouring over the illustrations :)

[Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home collection

[Jessica Minnoia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book in the "If you give...book" series. This book starts out "If you give a pig a party and then goes through a list of things the pig will then want. This continues through the book and ends with "and chances are she's going to ask you for a party," which is the same way the other books in these series end.
Children seem to love these books and the have the same few characters in the series and the same story idea with just the circumstances different.
I would use this book as a read-aloud to a Pre-K to Kindergarten class and also have available for independent reading for grades K-2.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you give a pig a party / Laura Numeroff / 2005
Genre: fiction
Format: picture book

Plot Summary: One thing leads to another when you give a pig a party.

Considerations: none

Review Citation:
Booklist, vol 102, number 4
"Part of a series...young fans of the series will squeal with delight to see their pancake-loving pig once again."

Selection Source: Booklist
Recommended age: 3-6

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful read from my childhood, one I’d certainly suggest for other youngsters. Whilst it is not my all-time favourite childhood read I can still recall all the details of this one meaning it certainly left a lasting impression upon my young mind.

And isn’t that what we want with children’s books, for them to leave a positive lasting impression?

[Asia Fontenot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a pig and she put on a party.She wanted her friends to come so she went to go find them at the street fair.Yes i did like the book because it was funny and it looked like they had a great time.I think my 2 grade buddy would like this book because she loves to read books like this one.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the If you give... series by the collaborative team of Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia Bond. It's a fun story, as are all of the others, and the charming illustrations only add a bit of whimsy to the story.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is alsome

[Rebecca DeVoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was first drawn to this book because I remember reading "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" when I was young. Numeroff and Bond create a similarly whimsical tale surrounding a pig and the events of her day, but I found myself losing the concept a bit in the process. Instead of being about the party you have thrown for the pig, the story shifts to a day out with the pig and her friends and then the resulting sleepover. On the last page, the pig asks for a party which I believe is supposed to feel like a full circle moment, but it falls flat and just feels a bit confusing. There were also some missed opportunities which would have made the book more exciting for readers. For example, the two-page spread of the hide-and-seek game feels lackluster because the hiding animals are so hard to see. I as an adult had a hard time finding them. Perhaps they could have been slightly more visible so that children can play along and feel immersed in the story.

I do not only have negative things to say about the book though. Overall, the illustrations are gorgeous and are definitely the high point of the book. Each of the different animals has distinct features and charming idiosyncrasies which make reading about them a pleasure. Bond displays her skill and professionalism as she actively takes on several artistic challenges. My personal favorite illustration is the one of all of the animals in the moon room at the carnival which was done monochromatically in shades of blue and white. Another positive point about this text is that is does not keep you waiting. Kids have short attention spans and I am sure that the quick pace and constant changes that this story offers would keep them entertained.

[Paige Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story, again, follows that same sequencing and cause and effect formatting as Numeroff’s other works in the “If You Give a…” series, except this time the setting and context change, instead of giving pig food, you're giving her a party! You see the girl and pig race around town and her house doing all these elaborate things with her friends, ending with her asking for another party! This story has different settings than just the house in Numeroff’s other works, and it also features pig’s friends – some being from Numeroff’s other If You Give a… series! This book is a great opportunity to describe to students and children all the things the pig and the girl are doing and how what she sees affects her decisions and wants. The illustrations and text are similar to Numeroff’s other works, but I believe have more variety in the context and pictures. We break out of the house setting and go on a bit of a ride with the girl and pig and the text and illustrations show that. The cover of this story is a bit different from the other’s, it frames the pig more in the middle with all the party balloons, different from the character being more shifted towards the corner. The end pages are different, only showing pig and her with party hats but still foreshadows what’s to come. The framing alternates by having scenes on two separate pages and then some scenes being one two full pages. This story in the series differs in the slightest of ways without losing the essence and memorable pieces of Numeroff’s work.

[Shayle Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff is about a little pig who is given a party and she is so excited about it. She asks for balloons to decorate the house, she gets dressed, and she calls all of her friends to invite them over. However, none of them were answering, so she went out to search for them. Along the way, she stumbled across a fair and just had to ride the bumper cars. When she approached the ride, she found her friends and they went on some more rides, got ice cream after they left, and went home to build a fort and to have a sleep over.

Analysis: I love this story because it takes readers of all ages back to when they were a kid, to where they used to throw birthday parties and invite all of their friends over. I also love this story because it's an easy read and easy to follow for those who are of a younger age, and its a classic.

For psychotherapy, I would use this book to teach my clients who are adolescents, who may not have friend/ and or may struggle to make friends, to not be afraid to put themselves out there. In addition, I would use this book as a resource to help my adult clients, who have a poor relationship with their kids, form new ways to reconnect with their children.

[Reade · Rating 3 out of 5]

If You Give a Pig a Party is a book about a pig asking for a party. The pig then asks to decorate and invite all of her friends. She leaves the house to look for all of her friends and ends up finding all of her friends at a fair. Eventually they have to go back home and all of her friends go with. They have a sleep over, which reminds the pig of the party she wanted to have.
3 book topic ideas
1.) This book could be good to relate to students about a party they once had and if their friends were invited. They could write or talk about a party they have had or their ideal birthday party.
2.) This book is a good example of sequence events, students could write a story with a sequence of events or identify the sequence of events in the story.
3.) This book is also a good example of a cause and effect book where students could start to work on cause and effect writing or identifying cause and effect in stories.

[Kendall Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura Joffe Numeroff has brought back pig and is ready to find out what happens when she asks for a party. The story follows pig through her day each turn of the page bring upon a new activity for pig and her friends. The story continues all day long till she finally gets balloons and wants another party.

I love all these books by Laura Joffe Numeroff. This one is very well illustrated and fun to follow along with pig during her day. I really like all the pieces to her adventure while trying to plan her party in this book.

This book is easily connected to all Laura Joffe Numeroff's other books. This is the second pig book after If You Give A Pig a Pancake, which would be cool to follow the pig on all her journeys.

One of my favorite quotes/pages from the book is "When you finally get home, you'll have to make dinner. Then she'll want to have a sleepover. You'll have to find pajamas."

[Hannah Eudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beloved If You Give a blank a blank book. This story features a pig having a party and all the elements that add up to the party. Personally, I love these types of books, I find them so adorable. I think the story is simple for people to see, and the words flow nicely for everyone to appreciate. These books all give me a sense of nostalgia, and sometimes it makes me sad, but when I get to spread the beauty to children it gives me a piece of my childhood back and brings happiness. I read to the kids in my practicum class the other day, and kids were rowdy, but as soon as I started reading it was like a magic flip, the kids loved this story. It just shows the power of read aloud and how it can almost instantly change a student’s attention and focus levels especially if it is a cute enjoyable book as this one is.

[Jen Kohel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: If You Give a Pig a Party
Author/Illustrator: Laura Numeroff
Reading Level: 2.0
Book Level: PreK - 1
Book Summary:
The little girl wants to give her pig party. There are many things you need to do before the party begins. The pig will definitely want to help you get ready for the party!
Bookshelf Genre: Picture Books
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits:
Organization - The author explains what happens when you give a pig a party. The story is organized in a specific sentence structure: If/Then, When/ {this happens}. The story is written like cause and effect. For my own students, I would talk about cause and effect and what it means. My students could practice writing a cause and effect short story.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is similar to the famous Mouse a Cookie book, but has some really cool things for my almost 2-year-old.
The best page is when the pig plays hide and seek and the reader can search for all the different animal friends. It's like a hunt and find book for a moment.
There is another page with bumper cars with fun numbers on them. My kid is learning numbers and so it's fun to look at that page too.
The pictures are a lot of fun and are unique.
(As a mom and reader of lots of picture books, I've come to appreciate good art and I like it when the illustrators don't reuse pictures one book to the next).

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story follows the life of a girl and her pet pig as they prepare to throw a party for the first time. When I first read this book when I was younger, I didn’t really understood it and I thought that it was just a fun little book. However, looking at it now, I think that the story is quite funny and very relatable. I remember nights when I told myself “1 more game and I’ll go to sleep” but then I would stay up for hours as I advanced through more and more rounds. Numeroff was also showing us that people nowadays get distracted very easily by the world surrounding us and that losing focus and having a little fun is not always a bad thing as long as it is once in a while.

[Haylee Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of a series of other variations of the phrase if you give a blank and a blank. It usually involves the character giving the animal a particular thing and then them wanting more and more. It usually ends where it all started, if you give a pig a party.

I like this book because it is fun and entertaining. There are side quests like trying to find all the animals when they play hide and go seek. It’s fun because parties are fun and most pages include activities you would do at a party. The colors are always pastel yet vibrant in these books. Definitely a good choice in classroom among other books in the series.