As we’ve read through lots of children’s literature, I’ve been amazed at how many books feature pig protagonists! I’m not sure what is so endearing about a leading pig character, but we have enjoyed every single one of these pig-led stories. In fact, many of these pig protagonists are leading characters in some of our very, very favorite family books:
Olivia Series
If you’re a children’s literature lover, chances are you’ve discovered this sweet board book about Olivia the pig and her family. Though the illustrations are somewhat sparse and the storyline is simple, every one of my kids has just loved this series. In fact, it’s one of our family’s top 25 board books for ages 1-3, and you can check out the whole list here!
Elephant and Piggie Series
As of this writing, this is my 4-year-old’s absolute favorite picture book series. Elephant and Piggie are funny, interactive friends that are able to incorporate the reader quite a bit in their stories. I also love the length of this picture book for 2- to 4-year-olds. It moves quickly enough to really keep interest of very young listeners, but even I as the parent look forward to reading the fun stories!
Small Pig
Arnold Lobel is one of the very best authors and illustrators for leveled readers, and this is one of our favorite Level 2 Readers. Small Pig loves to sit in good, soft mud. One day his pig pen is cleaned, and he must go searching for new mud to roll in. The storyline is sweet, simple, and engaging, and the repetitive sentences really build confidence for young readers. (If you’d like more Level 2 reading recommendations, click here!)
Mercy Watson Series
Written by Newbery-winning author Kate DiCamillo, these six books are a delight for young listeners. Mercy Watson is a pet pig who finds herself getting into all kinds of innocent trouble, and the illustrations are fantastic. The chapters are also quite short, and oftentimes we’ll get through the whole book in one sitting. This series is not only one of our first read-aloud chapter books, but also one of our very top recommendations for ages 4-5.
Lady Lollipop
According to her trainer, Lady Lollipop is the smartest pig in the entire kingdom. In spite of her intelligence, will she be able to win over the extremely spoiled Princess Penelope and her parents, the King and Queen? I read this aloud to one of my daughters when she was in Kindergarten, and it was perfect for that age!
Adventures of a South Pole Pig
Flora the pig longs to see the world and ends up on the adventure of her life on a ship headed to the South Pole. After rat-catching, a shipwreck, subzero temperatures, and an arctic sled expedition to try to save the travel party, Flora certainly wracks up her share of adventures! My favorite part of the book was Flora’s positive, optimistic attitude even in the midst of quite a bit of hardship. Just beware of the length. This book is nearly 300 pages and made for a very long read-aloud for younger ones!
Charlotte’s Web
This book goes almost without introduction as it is such a favorite for so many. After being born as the runt of the litter, Wilbur the pig befriends young Fern and Charlotte, a wise spider. Together Fern and the animals hatch a plan to show how wonderful Wilbur is so he won’t become bacon for the farm. We particularly enjoyed this audiobook (read by E.B. White himself!), and it is definitely one of our very favorite audiobooks for ages 6-8!
Babe, the Gallant Pig
Meet Babe, the “sheep pig” who unexpectedly can herd and handle Farmer Hogget’s sheep better than any trained sheep dog! Babe simply has to prove his skill in the Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials, even though everyone doubts a pig could ever win. This is another great read-aloud that I recommend primarily for the mid-elementary range.
I hope your children and students will enjoy each of these books with pig protagonists as much as we have! Happy reading!