SuitabookPiggybook
Anthony Browne
- Reading
- Read together and pause over the household tasks named in the story. Invite the child to notice how the family’s routine changes, then let them decide what they make of the pigs and the note.
- Themes
- Domestic work and family roles: Mrs Piggott does the washing, ironing, cleaning and cooking while Mr Piggott and the boys attend to work and school described as important. Calling the story a cautionary tale and promising the family its 'just desserts' supports a reading that it criticises this unequal arrangement.
- Fantasy within family life: After Mrs Piggott disappears and leaves a note, the family and its surroundings begin to change in peculiar ways. The story is presented as combining fantasy and reality for humorous effect.
- Worth knowing
- The mother’s sudden absence is the main disruption described. Consider whether that premise might prompt questions or feelings about who cares for a household.