I’m delighted to be supporting Faye Rogers Publicity in the launch of The Seriously Extraordinary Diary of Pig  by Emer Stamp published by Scholastic on 4th February 2016. This is the third in the Pig series and you can find all you need to know about all three books here along with my review.

The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig

(Pig Diary #1) by Emer Stamp

 

Summary:

We love Pig, but Pig loves Farmer. After all, Farmer gives Pig yummy slops and special back scratches, and calls him Sausage and seems to love him more, the fatter he gets. Just as well Pig doesn’t speak any Farmer. But Duck does (Duck’s clever like that), and he’s determined his best friend should know the truth.

Release Date: 30^th Ocotber 2015

Genre: MG Comedy

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: Hardback & Paperback

You can buy The Top Secret Diary of Pig on Amazon as well as direct from Scholastic.

The Super Amazing Adventures of Me, Pig

(Pig Diary #2) by Emer Stamp

 

Summary:

The hilarious sequel to THE UNBELIEVABLE TOP SECRET DIARY OF PIG. Pig couldn’t be happier. Life with the vegetarian farmers is perfect, and he has a new friend, Kitty. Of course, Pig won’t believe she’s up to something until he’s eaten the entirety of the farmers’ prize crop and is half way to the pie factory.

Release Date: 30^th October 2015

Genre: MG Comedy

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: Hardback

You can buy The Unbelieveable Top Secret Diary of Pig on Amazon as well as direct from Scholastic.

The Seriously Extra Ordinary Diary of Pig

(Pig Diary #3) by Emer Stamp

 

Summary:

Pig, Duck and Cow are far away from their Farm and beloved Vegetarian Farmers. More fun, parps, slops and unbelievable adventure from this much-loved set of characters. Complete with illustrations throughout and printed in a unique diary format.

Release Date: 4^th February 2016

Genre: MG Comedy

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: Hardback

You can buy The Seriously Extra Ordinary Diary of Pig on Amazon as well as direct from Scholastic.

My Review

I have to be totally honest and say that initially I had a slight reservation about the ‘Pig’ books because of my background in literacy education. Pig speaks about himself using the first person pronoun I, but with third person verbs so that he will say ‘I is’ instead of ‘I am’ and it worried me that this might not be the best example for language acquisition.

However, within a few pages I was hooked and actually could see that these books might be a valuable teaching resource, discussing with children how Pig speaks and what he should really be saying. Indeed, the author, Emer Stamp, has already provided teaching materials on the accompanying website Diary of Pig where there are things to make and do that really enhance these excellent books.

That minor personal reservation aside, Pig’s diaries are super books. I laughed out loud at some of the antics such as the ‘Name That Fart’ game and children will adore the humour in the stories, probably wanting a Fartcycle or Trocket for themselves.

What is also special about these books are that they illustrate perfectly themes of loyalty, friendship, education and belonging in a lively and entertaining read. There’s a fantastic opportunity to discuss organic farming, vegetarianism, where leather comes from, why pigs don’t have udders, how vegetables grow and so on, or the books can simply be read as highly eventful stories. Many children may get lost as Pig does, and this is, for example, a great opportunity to discuss what they should do if they find themselves in that situation.

Divided into diary entries, the Pig books could easily be read at bedtimes in episodes with a younger child as well as independently for older ones. There is a fast pace so that it isn’t easy to guess what will happen next, making all three books exciting and engaging. The plots romp along as Pig gets into one scrape after another.

There’s great characterisation in the Pig books. Pig, Duck, Cow and a variety of others like Ki-Ki all have easily recognisable traits that children will know and understand, making them ideal story companions.

The construction and design of the books also deserves special mention and their super quality perhaps reflects the author’s background in graphic design. The font style and illustrations are attractive additions to a series of books that I think will become well-loved classics over time.

Children of all ages will adore Pig’s adventures and the diaries. They are great fun.

About Emer Stamp

Emer Stamp is the author and illustrator of The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig. Emer grew up on a farm in Devon before training in graphic design and working for some of London’s top advertising agencies. She was the Creative Director for the Adam and Eve DDB communications agency, which creates advertisements for clients including John Lewis, Halifax, Cadbury’s and Save the Children. She lives in London.

You can find out more about the author Emer Stamp by following her on Twitter, visiting her web site and seeing her Goodreads page.

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