The Adventures of Pongo and Stink by Lisa Nicol illustrated by Karen Blair

 

"Farmer Nic plonked the scones into Pongo and Stink's gaping mouths. The world immediately stopped turning. Pongo and Stink shuddered beneath their dog suits, barely breathing as a pleasure bomb of flavour exploded inside their mouths; like a fireworks finale erupting in the night sky."
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Pongo and Stink live a happy life on the farm, but they want more! They want the farmer to give them the same delicious food they see him sharing with his old faithful farm dog such as scones with jam and cream and delicious hot toast and they also want pats and cuddles and to live the high life inside the house. But they are pigs - how can they achieve their dream?

Wait a minute. Rollo is a dog. Surely there is a way Pongo and Stink can disguise themselves as dogs? 

"I'm going to get myself a dog suit! ... It can't be that hard. I can do anything when I set my mind to it.' Stink rolled his eyes. He loved Pongo dearly and although he knew it was important to have faith in yourself, in truth, Pongo was over-confident. Sometimes she was even over-over confident. But while Pongo lived on the fanciful side of the street, she was also bold and fearless and full of ideas. And Stink liked those things about her very much."

What I liked:

• The small hardcover format and the cover along with the larger size print and the full page illustrations
• The dialogue between Pongo and Stink who seem like an old married couple
• The parts of the story where you, as the reader, know more than Pongo and Stink such as when they meet that dog that looks like a Shih tzu (spoiler alert is the fox).
• They way the two pigs just had to give into their piggy natures and take a wallow in mud and dig up all the vegetables and raid the refrigerator 
• When the pigs with their short legs and no spring try to jump into Farmer Nic's truck - that scene is truly funny and could be one you use if you are book talking in your library (Chapter 17)
• The scene where poor old Rollo is trying to round up the sheep and Pongo and Stink wreck everything - made me think of the television show Muster Dogs
• When the zips rust tight shut on their costumes and then the costume store is closed. I laughed when I read the sign that said Mr Waleed had gone away on a seven-month holiday although I wonder how he could afford this since he didn't charge Pongo and Stink any money for those dog suits.
• The trickster ending with the fox in the back of the dog catcher's truck

Things that didn't appeal to me (but kids will like)

• All the references to farts (or toots). One or maybe two would be fine but references like this always make me cringe. I think adding farts to kids' book is just cheap 'toilet humour' - again kids will probably love these parts. 
• The way Rollo, the farmer's dog, knew this pair were not to be trusted but he didn't use his nose to sniff out their fakery.
• Is farmer Nic in need of glasses? Surely these two silly pigs do not look like dogs? Kids will accept this part of course.

You could read this book in your family to children aged 6+ - it has 195 pages, 26 chapters and a large easy to read font with scattered black and white illustrations. Read this review from The Bottom Shelf.

Young readers will enjoy living through the high drama of tantalising highs and devastating lows. And they will chuckle along with the fart jokes, of which I am usually not a fan, but which suit the characters, who politely always say, “Pardon me.”  This book will leave your audience as happy as pigs in mud! Story Links

Thanks to Lisa Nicol who sent me a copy of her book. This book is sure to remind you of Babe (originally The Sheep Pig) by Dick King Smith.

Publisher blurb for Pongo and Stink: Pongo and Stink are FED UP with living in a pigsty. They want to live a life of luxury, all cosy in the farmhouse, getting loving pats from Farmer Nic while eating scones and jam on toast - just like their tormentor, Rollo the dog. When Pongo has the daring idea of dressing up as pups, the two piggies set out to chase their dreams. But will the wily fox scupper their plans? Or will Pongo and Stink discover that to be yourself is the greatest, mud-splattered adventure of all?

An uproariously funny tale about the difficulties of trying to be something you’re not, the power of true friendship and the perils of eating far too much cheese. Read a story extract

In this interview Lisa Nicol talks with Joy Lawn at Paperbark words about the process of writing The Adventures of Pongo and Stink.

This is also a 'grass is greener story' - see if you can find these picture books that explore that theme:

Daisy 

Once upon a small rhinoceros

I have talked previously about books which feature unlikely or contrasting friends. Pongo and Stink are both pigs of course, but they do have very different personalities - optimist or pessimist, carefree or worrier, performer and dreamer.

Here are two other books by Lisa Nicol for readers aged 10+ which I really enjoyed and highly recommend:

Vincent and the Grandest Hotel on Earth

The What on Earth Institute of Wonder