Being a Pig Is Nice: A Child's-Eye View of Manners

by Sally Lloyd-Jones, Dan Krall (Illustrator)

A hilarious picture book about manners, turned upside down!

Why do animals get to misbehave, while humans have to act so prim and proper all the time? From the New York Times bestselling author comes a book about manners, all from the point-of-view of a little girl. In her refreshingly subversive world, monkeys must always use their fingers when they eat or get in trouble, elephants are encouraged to squirt and splatter everywhere, and pig parents ask their children to get muddy before they go to bed. Of course, if you're a pig, you smell, and that’s not nice. Still, the girl can see that behaving like an animal could be fun. . . .

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

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2009

About the author

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Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl sets out on her way followed by her mother's reminder to mind her manners. The reminder leads the girl to several musings on how if she were a different animal she wouldn't have to mind her manners, but each time she finds something that's not nice about being that animal. When you're a pig you get to get dirty, but you smell. When you're a monkey you get to eat with your fingers, but you also have to eat grubs out of everyone's ears. The illustrations were created in photoshop by Dan Krall and belong to what I think of as the grotesque school of illustration with exaggerated caricatures for the people and plenty of gross-out appeal in the animal scenes. While I used this for my preschool group, I'd recommened saving it for grade school groups that will really appreciate the gross-outs and get the subtle humor of the reversing of manners.

Used for Here Comes Trouble Storytime - Preschool 1/19/10.

[Kristin Rosenberg]

Gracious. This little girl is just so certain that she wants to be anything other than polite. She considers the possibilities of being a pig, a snail, an elephant, a monkey, and an owl. Unfortunately, each one of those has their own particular stinky, slimy, and gross drawbacks. Her final conclusion is that she would be happiest being a bad, naughty, awful, and monstrous monster.

While this book is genuinely fun and gross to look at, I question the moral. The girl decides that it is definitely best to be a monster, who of course are rude because it is polite. Still, if you don't think too hard about it, this book has a ton of great synonyms and is just generally a goofy story to share with kids who are learning about manners.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very cute take on manners, using a child's imagination and wishful thinking to teach manners in a humorous way. The illustrations are fantastic, perfectly suited to the tone of the story. They add another layer of humor to an already funny book. Definitely a worthwhile read aloud for young children (even better for groups), and a great way to introduce the topic of manners and behavior.

[Sarah S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some animals get to do things kids would like to do -- but there's a downside:
"If you are an OWL being quiet at night isn't good. It's Completely Inexcusable Behavior...But you have to eat mice for breakfast and then throw up their fur and bones if you are an owl and that's not nice."

This turns the usual good manners book on it's head and a bit of mild gross out and silly illustrations make it fun.

[Celeste Shepherd · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was definitely our kind of humor, but if this book was supposed to help with manners, it failed! I wish it would have ended any other way than the child sitting at the table goofing off to her frazzled parents' disapproval. I definitely understood the point and felt a sense of "let kids be kids" empathy after reading, but my six year old took the silliness to heart and simultaneously enacted all of the behaviors in the book (even days after we read it)!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrated with bright colors and vivid images, being a pig is nice is a humorous picture book that addresses manners from a child's point of view. The wide-eye girl is told to mind her manners and then wonders what manners are to different creatures, such as a snail and an elephant. This is a funny book that children will enjoy.

[Dee-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son read this out loud to his brother, who fell asleep during the process, which is worth a star in itself. This is a fun and interesting book which describes the complexity of manners, in that they vary according to circumstances. I think this has more benefit to the adult reading it than the child, as it shows how confusing it coould be.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is both funny and gross, which is good. There is something appealing about all of the things that animals and other creatures get away with, but there are also gross things about being those animals. It is not as preachy as some books about manners are.

[kate and lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little story about manners. The girls loved it, thinking about how different animals get to break the rules of manners, but they all have their own drawbacks, too. The illustrations are whimsical and engaging and add another positive element to the story.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read-aloud... a couple classes even clapped at the end of the story... which isn't a story, so much as a number of musings about what would constitute good manners if the protagonist were any of various other types of beasts.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun story! I'm not entirely sure my niece and nephew fully understood the tongue-in-cheek nature of this tale, but they liked it all the same. Grown-ups are sure to hear their own voices (but with a twist) in this book, which makes it a funny read for everyone!

[Meghan Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl is annoyed that her mother is always telling her to mind her manners and to be polite. She wonders what it would be like to be other animals.

Excerpt: "What if I were an ELEPHANT?" "When you're an ELEPHANT/It is polite to splash./ Not splashing is Atrocious,/ Disgraceful Conduct."

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute. For both the pictures and the word play and the manners lessons.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Would be a fun read-aloud for a unit on manners.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preschoolers and schoolagers will like the funny way this book describes the advantages and drawbacks of being various creatures like pigs, monkeys, owls and monsters.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl is tired of her mother always telling her to mind her manners, so she thinks about other animals and how they have to be "impolite" to be polite.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one sooooo much! The illustrations are gorgeous and the concept is hilarious. The kids really enjoy the gross-out factor of some of the animals behaviors shown in the book.

[Tina B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"manners, animal behavior, circus animals, magic hat rabbit"

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute. It was pretty funny (although I don't think my kids understood the humor), and I really enjoyed the illustrations- very cute and colorful.

[Boni · Rating 2 out of 5]

The central conceit didn't quite work for me on this book. I did like some of the examples better than others however.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trying to find a book about manners to use with persuasive paragraphs. This was okay but not
moving any of my students to take a stand on manners.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

manners, not as good as others

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are very colorful, lots of eye candy. The story is cute and funny and reminds me of one of my children.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

really fun pictures. probably good for a storytime. I would have structured the story a little differently. It's silly to learn about the animals and the way they live their lives this way.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun! Love the no-need-for-manners mentality when your a pig (or a monkey, snail, owl, monster, etc.). I love children's books that make me laugh, and this one does just that.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a silly book to teach kids about manners. I liked the illustrations to.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dan Krall's illustrations REALLY make this book!

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Irritating authorial voice. Fun illustrations. Incomplete premise.

[Allyson Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the illustrations in this book, but I'm not sure I would use it in a classroom. With this sort of book, you kind of expect there to be a turnaround at the end of "this is how I SHOULD behave, especially if you have a lesson on manners. Overall very cute, just probably wouldn't use it as an educational tool!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was just OK (I didn't really get the message), but my 3 year old son loved it and we re-read it multiple times. The voice is the best part because you can hear a child in the text (it's their words and emphasis and reasoning) - that was done brilliantly.