A Treeful of Pigs

I found this 1979 hardcover copy of A Treeful of Pigs at a thrift store yesterday. It's a Children's Choice Book Club version, so it's not an original edition. However, I'm a big fan of Arnold Lobel, and finding one of his books is always a treat. You can buy this book on Amazon for a penny, but you still have to pay for shipping, which is usually around four dollars. I think I got a pretty good deal. Our Salvation Army sells kids' books for a quarter ... can't beat that.

It's a fun story about a farmer and his wife who buy a bunch of pigs. The farmer's wife is the one taking care of the pigs, while the farmer is lazy and spends his days in bed sleeping. Like any good wife, she eventually tricks him into helping her, and he says he will never been lazy again. Uh huh ... yeahrightsure. It's a cute story. Arnold's wife Anita did the illustrations, which really make the book a delight. My favorite one is when all the little pigs are sitting at the kitchen table eating corn pudding and corn muffins with the farmer and his wife. You definitely don't get the impression they bought the pigs to eat them, that's for sure.

My favorites by Arnold Lobel are the Frog and Toad books. I love those, and so do my boys. Neil reads them quite often. Whenever Nathan reads them, they're the funniest thing ever because he reads in this monotone voice. It fits both Frog and Toad's characters perfectly. I've lost track of which books I have by Arnold Lobel. One of these days I'll sort them all out.