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Pig the Pug #1

Pig the Pug

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A hilarious book about learning to share from the much loved, awarding winning author and illustrator Aaron Blabey. Pig is a greedy and selfish Pug. He has all the bouncy balls, bones, and chew toys a dog could ever want yet he refuses to share with his poor friend, Trevor. Little does he know, however, that being greedy has its consquences. Join Pig as he learns to share - the hard way!Young readers will love the irresistbly quirky and funny illustrations that are paired with a relatable lesson of learning to share with others. For dog and pet lovers everywhere.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2014

92 people are currently reading
2563 people want to read

About the author

Aaron Blabey

198 books852 followers
Aaron is an Australian author of children's books and artist who until the mid-2000s was also an actor. His award winning picture books include Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon and the best-selling Pig the Pug.

In the field of acting, he is probably best known for his lead roles in two television dramedies, 1994's The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and 2003's CrashBurn, before retiring from performance in 2005.

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5 stars
2,185 (47%)
4 stars
1,371 (29%)
3 stars
749 (16%)
2 stars
178 (3%)
1 star
97 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 578 reviews
Profile Image for Mischenko.
1,034 reviews94 followers
May 20, 2017
To see this review as well as this week's favorite children's books please visit www.readrantrockandroll.com

Pig the Pug is a children's book about a pug named Pig. Pig is very selfish and wants to keep all of his stuff to himself. He just won't share with his house friend, Trevor. Trevor's really nice to him and just wants to play with him, but Pig won't yield. Follow along in the story to see if Pig can learn to finally share.

What makes this book so good is the illustrations of Pig. You get an idea by just viewing the cover. They're hilarious! The children just love the pictures and the story sends a powerful message about why you shouldn't be greedy.

4****
Profile Image for Andrew.
690 reviews248 followers
December 30, 2015
I liked: nothing really...Pig's a pretty unlikeable character.
she liked: learning the phrase "Mine, go away!!!"
Profile Image for Chasity.
251 reviews13 followers
November 4, 2021
So funny and cute. Aaron Blabey writes books kids like, but grownups don’t mind reading, too. Such a sense of humor combined with character. My kids love picking up his books and I love when they bring them home. Pig the Pug has many fun stories to tell, and, just like his Bad Guys series, we will likely read as many as we can!
Profile Image for Josiah.
3,488 reviews158 followers
May 26, 2022
Aaron Blabey's Pig the Pug is a breath of fresh air. The crisp, colorful illustrations, rhythmic meter, and unpredictable humor are loved even by older kids than usually gravitate to picture books. The new take on the lesson of sharing serves as memorable reminder that hoarding good things typically doesn't end well. Pig might be selfish, but he's cute, and his bug-eyed horror at the thought of sharing with another dog is comical and easy for young readers to identify with.

Pig is a chubby little pug. He loves food (his bowl is inscribed with the word "MINE"), and he fanatically collects squeaky toys and items to gnaw on. He has no desire to share with Trevor, a wiener dog who lives in the same house. Trevor suggests Pig will have more fun with his toys if he spends less time preventing other dogs from touching them, and more time making friends and playing together. Pig does not want to hear this. Positioning himself between Trevor and the toys, he tosses the toys into one big pile, then stands on top to defend his recreational resources from interlopers. Trevor will never lay a paw on Pig's playthings! But...the wiener dog's advice that it's easier to enjoy toys when you just play with them and permit others to do the same looms large when Pig's self-centered behavior backfires in a big way. Playtime at their house is going to be different from now on.

It's easy to get caught up in your possessions, not wanting anyone to horn in because they weren't the ones who earned such awesome toys. We even get jealous that way over people we value. Trevor is right that being miserly won't make Pig happier, because toys are meant to be played with, and sharing them deepens relationships. That's the number one reward of material possessions, but we cheat ourselves of it if we're stingy. Better to hold our toys with an open hand and welcome friends to join us. Pig the Pug is like a thematically superior (and funnier) version of Marcus Pfister's The Rainbow Fish, and I might rate it two and a half stars. I see why kids adore this book.
Profile Image for Suz.
1,561 reviews866 followers
February 6, 2018
A sweet story about sharing - it's more fun to share and be with our friends, than to pile them up all for ourselves, to 'have' not to 'use'. Silly little pug stockpiled his goodies, and even tumbled over and hurt himself. His friend convinced him to share and have fun! Indy thought this was cute.
Profile Image for Jen.
3,476 reviews27 followers
April 12, 2025
SO. CUTE!!!

Cute book about sharing, though you don’t know if Pig really learned his lesson or not.

4, so cute I was gushing out loud while reading this, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tym.
1,321 reviews79 followers
March 7, 2021
Hilarious illustrations and a cute and funny story.
Profile Image for Guy.
45 reviews8 followers
July 21, 2016
This is my new favourite picture book.

The illustrations were hilarious - you should feel bad if you didn't laugh!

This brought out the inner 5 year old inside me....
Profile Image for Abigail.
8,012 reviews265 followers
October 23, 2018
"Pig was a pug / and I'm sorry to say, / he was greedy and selfish / in most every way." And so begins the rhyming narrative of Pig the Pug, an amusing Australian picture-book featuring two very different dogs: the eponymous Pig, a selfish pug who refuses to share, and the goodhearted Trevor, a dachshund who tries his best to befriend his canine companion. Pig resists all overtures until an accident teaches him differently... or does it?

Originally published in Australia in 2014, and just now (January 2017) being made available in the states, Pig the Pug is an amusing look at issues of sharing and playing well together, as enacted by two dogs. Of course, many young children will see a bit of themselves in both Pig and Trevor - most of us have had moments when we wanted to keep our possessions to ourselves, and most of us have wanted to share in enjoying others' things - and will enjoy seeing Pig "learn his lesson." For my part, I was amused to see that the solution to the problem lies in Pig being encased in a very restrictive cast. One wonders whether matters will revert to their old state, when he is healed. However that may be, this was an entertaining tale, made all the more appealing by Aaron Blabey's hilarious illustrations. Pig's wild antics are perfectly captured in his colorful artwork, as is Trevor's initial friendliness, and then dejection. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories addressing questions of sharing and kindness, particularly stories in which these questions aren't neatly wrapped up in the end.
Profile Image for Lis ~Cheese Fairy~.
218 reviews15 followers
April 12, 2025
Tonight was this gem. Pig, Trevor, and a good lesson on learning how to share. (That’s a work in progress at our house.)

If anyone’s curious about what having a toddler is like: it’s reading them a book, telling them you love them “more than anything in the world”, and then them replying “I want daddy instead”. Yup. Thanks for that.
Profile Image for Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob).
997 reviews14 followers
November 11, 2017
I'm not the biggest fan of rhyming picture books, I know, BLASPHEMY! However, the illustrations in this book completely won me over. Now, I've run into other books by Aaron Blabey, "The Bad Guys" was a SSYRA* selection this year. The library system I work in ordered it because of that and I got my first exposure to his books.
(*Sunshine State Young Readers Award, for the curious)

Apparently, Aaron Blabey enjoys more popularity in Australia, but, I think we're slowly catching up here in the US. My daughter is gradually reading through "The Bad Guys" series and we're really enjoying it. I was pretty delighted to open my first box of picture books for the new fiscal year and spot three of Aaron Blabey's picture books.

Pig is just wonderfully ridiculous. He has these really exaggerated features that you've probably seen here and there. He looks like one of those older obese pugs that end up surrendered to rescue when their medical bills start ticking up too high. In addition to poor Pig being rather ugly, he's also not a very nice little dog. He lives with a darling little Dachshund named Trevor and is nothing but mean to the little guy.

This is VERY much a rhyming book. I tried to read a few of these in a row and burned out on the rhyming a bit. However, I still think they are excellent, just don't overdose on them.

5 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2017
As a reader, I loved this book. Personally, I'm a dog person so naturally I was drawn to it. Once I read the book, I knew I had to purchase it. The illustrations are hilarious and very detailed. It is a very simple read and had a rhyme scheme. The point of the book is to teach sharing to the readers. I thought the author did a great job teaching readers how to share in a humorous way. This is a great book for young kids. It would even be good for children that are getting a new sibling who aren't used to having to share their things.

As a teacher, it is the perfect book to read to students to teach them how to share. In the book, Pig the pug was not good at sharing and eventually had to face the consequences for his actions. Sharing is such an important skill to learn at a young age. This book is perfect for pre-k through first or even second grade. The illustrations are funny enough to keep the young children's attention while also teaching them about sharing. I plan to keep this book in my future classroom. It even contains puns that some adults would understand and find funny. I know I did. The book is set up as a rhyme scheme that makes it an easier read for younger students. It is also a good way to introduce young students to rhyming words in a fun way.

Profile Image for Sarah.
1,064 reviews12 followers
April 14, 2021
Uhhh this book was amazing so everyone needs to read it. About a pug who needs to learn how to get his share on. The pictures are great. Read with PreK, K, Grade 1, Grade 2/3.

Very short, quick read, though.
Profile Image for Kelly.
628 reviews19 followers
January 8, 2024
4.5/5

This was so freaking cute!! Funny, a realistic portrayal of how dogs act (which made it even funnier), and a great use of the illustrations. The rhyming could have been a little better at times, but my gosh this was a lot of fun. 🐶❤️
Profile Image for Jessica.
68 reviews22 followers
February 27, 2019
OMG if you have not read Pig the Pug, run do not walk to your nearest library.
Profile Image for Kate  prefers books to people.
656 reviews6 followers
July 6, 2022
A lazy dog gains a lot of weight and decides to clean up his act when the floor under the couch starts creaking.
Profile Image for Steve Holden.
477 reviews14 followers
July 12, 2017
I'm a sucker for dog anything - and a picture book with fantastic illustrations is a pretty sure bet! This one is hilarious to just look through. Pig is a pretty rough character - he's a pug who happens to be greedy and selfish. He's not someone you want to model your character after. I feel the story gets this across. It does promote some good things while also making one laugh from just looking at the illustrations of Pig the Pug!
Profile Image for Jordan Murray.
Author 5 books134 followers
December 6, 2021
The illustrations are hilarious, and very well done! Though some say Pig’s character is unlikable, I believe that’s the point of the book. I think that Pig the Pug is more of a humorous book rather than one with a ‘moral’ or ‘lesson’, which is good. Sometimes, kids just need to read something funny!
Profile Image for larissa 🧚🏻‍♀️✨.
103 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2024
"i know what your game is, you want me to share! but i'll never do that! i won't and i swear!"

and my 4yr old goes "he swore , did he say fuck?"

tried to explain the concept of saying "i swear" but hasn't quite clicked yet

good book tho
Profile Image for Stephanie.
633 reviews18 followers
April 20, 2017
So, so funny! This might just be my new favorite kid's book! I picked this up at the library because I absolutely love Pugs and my son is a dog lover. GREAT choice!

Pig is a rude pug who doesn't want to share his toys with another dog. The whole story has a wonderful rhyming scheme and the illustrations are playful and silly. I love Pig's attitude, facial expressions, and dialogue, and the lesson he eventually learns about sharing with friends.

The first time we read it, I was laughing out loud, and in turn, my son started cracking up -- it's really hilarious! He laughs hysterically every single time we read it and will run and get it if we ask "where's Pig the Pug?" I had to email the author about how much we loved it, and will be buying a copy for our shelves. Can't wait to read the other Pig books now, too!

Highly recommended. We will read this one again and again (and already have)!
Profile Image for Gertrude.
9 reviews
July 28, 2025
Hear me out... Trevor.

But in all seriousness, this book was fatphobic. It's basically a cautionary tale about being a greedy little menace, but instead of just teaching kids to share, it goes REAL hard on making the chubby dog the villain. Wow.

Also, Pig almost dies in every single one of these books and just keeps coming back like some sort of selfish, rotund zombie. HE'S FALLEN OFF BALCONIES, BEEN CRUSHED BY PRESENTS AND LAUNCHED INTO SPACE, YET EVERY TIME HE RETURNS WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF SPITE AND ZERO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Ridiculous.

If this book has taught me literally anything, it's that bad behaviour is fine as long as you're plump and bulbous and indestructible.

Justice for Trevor ✊
Profile Image for Beth.
897 reviews47 followers
January 5, 2017
Fun illustrations, but what is going on with that message? Share and be nice or you'll break every bone in your body? That's kind of messed up. I'm all for consequences for your actions but perhaps not in such a blunt way.
Profile Image for EclispeWolf.
13 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2017
This book was so super funny and amazing!! The book is about two dogs, one of the dogs names was Trevor and he wants Pig to share his toys but Pig refuses to share. I will let you figure out the rest of the story when you get this amazing book!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 578 reviews

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