The Pig on the Hill

Description

The pig lives all alone in a house on top of a hill. He's very happy with his quiet life. He has his books, his tidy tidy house and a lovely view. Until one morning he opens the curtains to find a duck has taken up residence on the tiny pinnacle of rock outside his window. Much to the pigs annoyance the excessively friendly duck likes the spot and decides to build a house there. With a swimming pool. And a garden and patio. The duck tries to be friendly. He's very confident and outgoing. It seems he's been everywhere (unlike the pig), done everything; skiing, mountain climbing, parachuting, scuba-diving, even brain surgery. The pig just wants to be left alone. Eventually, after a particularly loud party, the pig shouts at the duck, and the next morning finds a note pinned to the duck's front door. It reads: 'GONE AWAY.' At first the pig is pleased. But gradually realises that his life without the duck is quiet and slightly dull. He comes to miss the duck and regrets rejecting him. One day there is a knock on the door and the pig opens it to find the duck wearing a som- brero and carrying a pinata. He'd only been on holiday in the South. He does it every year. Maybe next year the pig will join him.

John Kelly is a British author and illustrator. His books include The Robot Zoo and Everyday Machines, both of which were shortlisted for the Rhone-Poulenc Junior Prize. He lives in London.

From Shelf Awareness The Pig on the Hill (Cameron & Company, $16.95 hardcover, 48p., ages 4-8, 9781937359393, June 18, 2013) In this uplifting tale of unlikely friendship, a pig, seeking solace and a breathtaking vista in his home high above the valley, is crestfallen when a duck moves in to spoil his view--until he realizes what he'd been missing. Author-artist John Kelly shows the wide-open space on the title page, where Pig has built his home atop a grassy crest. The white smoke wafting from his chimney matches the snowy peaks of the mountain range and the cumulus clouds adrift over a river that winds its way through the peaceful scene. Pig bakes cakes, makes model planes and reads books while nibbling on chocolate: "His life was perfect." But one day, Pig opens the curtains, and a duck is standing there. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" says the duck. "Pig agreed, but secretly wished the duck would just go away." Out of all the places in the vast valley, the duck takes up residence right in Pig's line of vision. Kelly plays with elements of the comic-book format to nicely pace the flow of the events and to play with perspective. Pig's new neighbor, who visits with a bottle of champagne, regales his host with tales of his travels, which appear in thought balloons of him hiking, snorkeling and waterskiing. "The duck seemed to have been everywhere and done everything. Things Pig had only read about in books." On a full-page image of the duck playing drums, Kelly pictures an inset of Pig holding up a clock that reads 2:00a.m. and picking up the phone ("There were the normal disagreements"). Even though the humor borders on adult sophistication, both characters present a universal dynamic of opposites that--eventually--attract. They help each other out, and eventually build a bridge--literally and figuratively--between their houses, in a full-spread illustration. Pig turns down an invitation to a winter party Duck hosts ("Pig didn't like crowds"), then complains when "the music seemed to go on and on and on and on." (Kelly adds a whole new dimension to the phrase "darken my door" when Pig stomps over to halt the party.) When Duck disappears the next day and does not return, day after day, Pig tries to return to his old routines. Kelly expertly contrasts the before-and-after scenes to convey the way that Pig's former tranquility now escapes him. He misses his friend. When Duck returns, Pig determines not to be without him (and gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "when pigs fly"). Children who enjoyed Cecil Castelucci and Sara Varon's Odd Duck will likely glom onto this likeminded tale of eccentric individuals who thrive as joined forces, and will also appreciate the way both books play with illustration and design elements. --Jennifer M. Brown "The Pig couldn't believe his eyes. The Duck was having a swimming pool installed. This was just too much." -- from the book