Pig the Monster

Pig the Monster is the next installment of Aaron Blabey’s “Pig the Pug” series. Readers find, yet again, that Pig is up to no good – this time his hijinks center around Halloween. The gluttonous pug does his best to acquire as much candy as possible. Pug “hungrily [drools]… through the streets. A monstrous rampage for TREATS! TREATS! TREATS!” (p. 3). He dons many costumes (Frankenstein, a spider, a zombie, and more) to trick people into giving him as much candy as possible. Pig stops at nothing – “he ruined the evenings of those he tormented. The scale of his PAYBACK was unprecedented” (p. 5). Unfortunately, as most know, dogs cannot eat chocolate and remain feeling well – a lesson that Pig finds out the hard way. The method of his being saved is one that young readers will find appropriately hilarious.

The illustrations are vibrant, funny, and full of movement. Young and old readers alike will appreciate the various antics depicted by Pig and his friend Trevor. The orange-and-black colour scheme is an appropriate nod to the Halloween theme of the book.

Aaron Blabey’s Pig the Monster is an excellent addition to the “Pig the Pug” series. Fans of Halloween and monsters will have further reason to enjoy this installment – Pig’s various outfits are detailed Halloween classics. The story highlights the importance of not being greedy or eating too much candy, valuable life lessons indeed.