cover image Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen

Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen

Doug Cushman. Charlesbridge, $12.95 (44p) ISBN 978-1-58089-401-2

Cushman pairs pigs with classic movie monsters to create pun-heavy poems, including “Porker from the Black Lagoon” and “Pigzilla.” While unabashedly silly, the poems are also fluid and clever: “Why is the werehog howling?/ Is his pig swill at an end?/ Did he stub his toe upon a rock/ or lose his best pig friend?/ The werehog howls his torment./ He yowls his mournful tune./ The saddest sound you’ll ever hear:/ his oinking at the moon!” The pen-and-ink depictions of comically sinister hogs pair seamlessly with these crowd-pleasing poems. Ages 7–10. (July)