BOOKS
Created: 14th August, 2015

Piggybook

Author: Anthony Browne
Illustrator: Anthony Browne
Publisher: Walker

A brilliant exposition on the theme of male chauvinism. Mrs Piggott leaves her boorish husband and sons who, unable to cope, quickly sink into a mire of dirty dishes and burnt meals. When she returns, the tasks in the household are shared out more equally and not so stereotypically. The repetition in the text (‘his very important job’ ‘their very important school’) has a tongue-in-cheek irony. What makes this book stand out are the illustrations with their increasing number of porcine images, treading a fine line between humour and horror.