Big Pig's Hat - Hardcover

Willy Smax

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1852134607 ISBN 13: 9781852134600

Publisher: Orchard Books, 1992

Synopsis

One night a great wind blew through Beansville, USA, and blew Big Pig's hat away. "Somebody's stolen my hat!" said Big Pig "Wait till I find out Who!". As a Wild West spoof the book shows the characteristic reactions of the other animals and how eventually Big Pig was made to look foolish.

About this title

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-This is a modern Western, from the dirt roads and cacti to the dilapidated awnings and town bully. One morning, Big Pig, the local heavyweight, awakes to find his hat missing. He sets out on a mission to find the varmint who stole it, not realizing that it had blown away. This guy is obviously out for revenge, marked by the scowl on his face and the posture with which he marches into town. The townsfolk- Mousey Mousey, Slippy Snake, Happy Horsey, Calamity Cat, and Coco the Cow-cower in fear, but not Dirty Donkey. He catches Big Pig's hat when another wind blows it right down main street, and refuses to give it back. It's showdown time, water pistols and all. Ludlow's illustrations, with their bold, exaggerated brushstrokes and colors, deftly communicate the playful mood of the simple text. The figures are outlined in thick black paint, and are dressed in wonderful costumes, such as Coco Cow's purple dress with white polka dots. The grammar is not always correct ("He don't know," says Big Pig), the women are stereotyped (Coco Cow bats her eyelashes and Calamity Cat's figure is the archetypal hourglass), and there is the ubiquitous use of guns. But this is a Western, after all, and as such it is an entertaining read-aloud for story time.
Lynn Cockett, Nutley Public Library,
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Married couple Smax and Ludlow invent a Wild West bully in their animated, humorous debut. One windy night, Big Pig's cowboy hat blows away. When he notices that it's missing, he storms into town and angrily accuses his neighbors--among them cowgirl Calamity Cat and meek Dirty Donkey--of stealing it. Moments later, Dirty Donkey innocently finds the 10-gallon chapeau, only to be given a much-needed rinse in a water-pistol showdown with Big Pig. Smax's alliteration ranges from unforgivably hoaky (one character bears the name "Happy Horsey") to inspired (as when skittish deputy "Slipped Snake slipped into a slipper"). Ludlow's stylized illustrations, with their splashy, jangly colors and heavy black outlines, have the unmistakable look of silkscreen prints; she achieves a campy feel by combining old-fashioned cartoons with pop art technique. While the narrative dishes up rather ordinary western fare, the vivacious compositions give an attention-getting boost to this promising collaboration; children, however, may not enjoy the art as much as their parents will. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Orchard Books
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 1852134607
• ISBN 13: 9781852134600
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 30