Do You Love Me?

Piglet and Papa
Written by Margaret Wild
Illustrated by Stephen Michael King

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers
Copyright 2007

32 Pages

 

 

Wow this was such a cute story. The title of the book was very interesting, and it matched up so well with the cover that I could not pass it up. Plus, it is a Margaret Wild book, so I knew that it would be great for sure. The story is focused on this young pig that has a great relationship with her dad. One day though, she makes him very angry and she decides to leave the pig sty. After leaving she runs into all of the other barnyard animals. When she sees them she asks them how much they like her and if they love her. They all say that they love something about her (floppy ears, cute snout, etc.) and they tell her that they love her as well. However, they tell her that there is someone who loves her even more so than they do, but they never reveal to her who that person is. Towards the end of the story she wanders back into the pig sty, and to her surprise there is her dad to welcome her. He gives her a huge hug and it is there that she realizes he is the one that loves her more than everyone else.  

The illustrations within this book have thin, jagged lines. They contain a lout of blues and greens which promote a tranquil mood. The cover of the book is a dual image of two completely separate pictures. The text placement is a mix of formal and informal. I have found it very common for there to be a mixture of many. The illustrations are brilliant paintings which clearly deliver the message of the text.

The teacher could use this book in a preschool lesson about animals. The teacher could elaborate details about each animal. In higher elementary classes, the students could research an animal from the story and learn about its habitat and ways of life. The students could fill out information about each animal in a graphic organizer. The students could do a writing assignment about a time they have dealt with a misunderstanding, and they believed a lie because of it.