Pigs Can't Fly!

by Ben Cort

Pig is bored. Other animals seem to have much more fun than pigs. Determined to find adventure, Pig tries to be a tall giraffe, or a bouncy kangaroo, but he never quite gets it right. Then Pig meets Parrot, and has his best idea yet. Wouldn't flying be the most fun of all?

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Ben Cort studied Art at Buckinghamshire College and gained a Higher Education Illustration diploma at Harrow College. His picture books have been published in many languages and countries, including the hugely successful Aliens Love Underpants series. Ben lives in Bedfordshire with his wife and young children.

Reviews

[Moore, Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book “Pig Can’t Fly” by Ben Cort is classified as juvenile fiction; it’s targeted age group is PreK and older… This story is a fun look at being yourself a good social/emotional book for an “All About Me” theme, to discuss self-esteem and/or individuality, envy; the story has multifaceted messages about being yourself, about looking at what you may admire about others and creatively mirroring it etc... The illustrations are entertaining and lively.

[Muhab · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT'S THE BEST BOOK THAT I EVER READ!

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story about a pig who is not happy being a pig. He sets out to try and become something more exciting, but in the end he realizes he is happy being a pig.

Pig is a bored pig and wants to have fun so he tries to become something else. The elephant and the other animals all try to tell him that he can't change.

This book takes place in a zoo because there are many different kinds of animals in the book. The story takes place in the fall because the leaves are starting to change.

I recommend this book to children of all ages, because it is a very good book.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Careful, Icarus ..." -- Craig Ferguson.

Yeah, Pig decides he wants to be a parrot. This after seeing a cockatoo fly. The poor bird is called a parrot, even though he looks exactly like a sulfur-crested cockatoo.

What -- you can't say cockatoo in kids books anymore?

And what freaking landscape exists where African and Australian fauna freely mix? And domestic pigs? Are we in a safari park or something?

And why on earth would Our Porky Protagonist NOT know about wallowing in mud? HE'S A FUCKING PIG. Didn't his relatives show him? Was he an orphan, separated from all other pigs until the last two pages of this book?

I've got a lot of questions, and this book did not provide the answers.

[Hannah Heberer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book opens up to a very bored pig. He sets out to find some adventure and begins to meet some elaborate animals along the way. Each animal Pig meets makes him want to be like them believing that they have to be more fun than being a pig. Pig tries his hardest to become something that he is not and, in the end, he learns a very valuable lesson.
This book is such a creative piece that has an exciting plot and great illustrations along with it. Children can really learn a great lesson on self confidence and love.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre illustrations and a story that gives nothing new. And the text is awkward to read aloud. Nothing bad here, but I was completely bored.

[Melissa Ganka-Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book buried in my school library shelves and I can't wait to read it out loud to my students. It's funny! A good story about being yourself.

[Aisha Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonderful book about celebrating differences and being who you are.

[Aleisha Froude · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pig wants to be something else but it never works! My kids like it, but I wish there was a repeating phrase or something they could engage with.

[Danielle Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story to remind children to be themselves.

[Alex Schuler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pigs Can't Fly! by Ben Cort is one of the most adorable little stories I have come across in a long time. It tells of a pig who has become bored with his life, so he sets off to become something else, although things don't go exactly as planned.

What initially attracted me to this book was the clever title, which of course comes from the adynaton, "when pigs fly". The onomatopoeia in the book is in a different font, which makes it pop out while also becoming part of the illustrations. The illustrations are delightfully creative, I especially like the one where pig is painting with black and white striped paint. Some of the pictures appear to have texture, specifically the sand, water, and mud. The illustrations seemingly appeal to all the senses, even touch, just by looking at them.

The plot of the book is rather humorous, as the pig believes he can become different animals by simply, for example, strapping on a pair of wings and then telling the other animals, "I'm a parrot and it's great." The message of the story is an important one for both kids and adults; don't try to be someone you're not even if you feel bored with your own life. If you want to be happy, all you have to do is embrace who you are!

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pigs Can’t Fly
ADORABLE!! This book is purely about a little pig who wants to be like every other animal because he/she believes that pigs don’t have any fun at all. The pig tries dressing up in various ways to be a giraffe, parrot, zebra etc. to know what life is like being about to fly, being really tall and eating from trees and other various characteristics! The word choices are excellent with clever repetition and gentle alliteration. The images are carefully constructed and drawn to show the life and struggle of how the pig thinks his life is so boring. You can feel the thought behind each word choice, as when pig "gazes" at giraffe who is "grazing" and pig doesn't just fall in the mud, he falls "slap bang" in the mud. Towards the end of the book when the pig meets another pig he is introduced to the fun things that pigs can do such as rolling and rolling and rolling in the mud! The little pig is adorable and I would love reading this book to a classroom full of curious little children! This book clearly shows that all animals have their own characteristics and fun aspects to their lives but that no animal ever lives a “boring and uneventful life!”

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is ADORABLE!! This book is all about a little pig who thinks that being a pig is boring. During the book pig runs into many other animals including a giraffe,zebra,elephant etc. He decides that their life is much more exciting than his own so he does things like builds stilts so he can stand tall like a giraffe and he paints black and white stripes on his body so he can be like a zebra. Near the end of the book he comes up with his best idea yet, and decides that he is going to fly. Pig then goes off and gets feathers and ties them to his arms. He climbs high into a tree, but when he jumps he falls splat into the mud. At this point, pig is very sad and says that nothing about being a pig is exciting or fun. Then, another pig tells him that it is wonderful being a pig because of all the fun you get to have rolling around in the mud and getting dirty. This book has a cute message about how every animal—and person—are different and each one is beautiful and unique in their own way.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great children's book. The pictures are lively and colorful and have lots of details. The text is really well done. You know how sometimes you read a kids' book and think anyone could have written it, this isn't one of those. It's clear that the author took care to flush it out. The word choices are excellent with clever repetition (but not too much) and gentle alliteration. You can feel the thought behind each word choice, as when pig "gazes" at giraffe who is "grazing" and pig doesn't just fall in the mud, he falls "slap bang" in the mud. I could read this one over and over, and I have because the kids keep asking for it.

[h. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I just say --- perfect 10! I read this book to myself and giggle. This little snippet of fun is just waiting to become classic bedtime prime-time.

Pig suffers from poor self-image. His life would be so much better if he could just be anything at all --- other than pig. But eventually he discovers that the point of life is to have a life --- and well, the one he's got is pure pig.

Everyone eventually has call to buy a kid's book --- nieces, nephews, baby-showers (shudder). Make this the next kid gift you give! You'll get high-fives from mom, dad, and kid.

[Tracy Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pig was bored, bored, bored! He wanted to have fun like all the other animals. Pig decides in order to have fun he should become another animal. He first puts on stilts and tries to become a giraffe, but that was no fun. A zebra, nope that was no fun. Pig wonders how he can have fun. He figures it must be flying. Ben Curt’s story and beautiful illustrations tell the tale of learning to accept who you are and enjoying being yourself.

[Sue Pak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pig gets bored one day and tries to imitate other animals. He thinks the lives of others is more flattering than his. Eventually he finds out that being a pig is the best of all.

This book is good to use when talking about accepting who you are, and being happy with yourself. I think this book was pretty cute. Everyone wants to have something that they don't have at a certain point, and I think everyone can relate to this in some sort of way.

[Shawna Sachs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a pig that thinks being a pig is so boring. He goes and tries to make himself into different animals because he thinks that they will be more fun. In the end he finds another pig that is having fun in a mud puddle and he decides that is what he would like to do. I think this book would be good for pre-school through 4th grade because the lesson that is being taught is that you need to have fun by being yourself and do not try to be anything that you are not.

[Molly Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so cute! It would be a great extension activity to go over rhyming words. There are only a few in the whole book so you could have your students go through it with you and find them all. The pig becomes different animals he comes in contact with throughout the whole story so they book would be so fun to do a retelling rope about all of the animals the pig became throughout the whole story.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and silly story about a dissatisfied pig who wants to be something else. It depicts him in many different "disguises," attempting to understand what it is like to be another animal. It's a moralistic tale that attempts to teach children to like who they are and to not try to be something else.

[Faith Barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute book! Pig wants to become like all the different animals he comes in contact with throughout the story. In the book there are some rhyming words so it would be great for the students to go through the book with you and have them find them all. Overall this is a very engaging stroy that will keep the students interested.

[Katie Nanney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book. It was a nice reminder that you are special just the way you are. You don't have to be like everyone else; you need to find what you love and go for it. I liked the illustrations too. They went well with the book. This simple story would make a good read aloud book for Kindergarten and up.

[Mekia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that can be read for enjoyment or for a calm-down period of the day. It also gets students laughing. It is about a pig who is so bored that he wants to be like his friends (other animals). So he wants to be just like them, such as flying like a bird, being as tall as a giraffe, etc.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Within the story, Pig realizes how boring his life is. He wants to be anyone but who is he, a pig. This book is a great reminder on how important each and every person is. Children of all ages could benefit from this book just to remind themselves how unique each student is.

[Megan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about a little pig that is not happy being a pig so he decides to try out being some other animals for a while. The pictures are very bright and colorful. this is a funny book for younger grades.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids love reading this book and I have to admit I do too!

[Heather Ledet · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the animals lives must be WAY more exciting that Pigs. He is SO bored. So he decides he'll just be somebody else! But in the end, being a pig is more fun and safer, too!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, goofy, silly... what's not to like? (And nothing beats getting to the part with the elephant and my boys both try to make elephant noises, complete with using their hands/arms as the trunk.)

[Jigsaw Keene]

A story such as the little engine that could. Everyone says that he cant fly, then he does! He flies! In your face you other mean piggies!!!

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Pigs can't fly! This is a cute book about being happy and proud of who you are! Pigs tries to be what he isn't and ends up realizing that being a pig is pretty groovy!