Aaron Blabey

"Pig was a pug / and I'm sorry to say, / he was greedy and selfish / in most every way." And so begins the rhyming narrative of Pig the Pug, an amusing Australian picture-book featuring two very different dogs: the eponymous Pig, a selfish pug who refuses to share, and the goodhearted Trevor, a dachshund who tries his best to befriend his canine companion. Pig resists all overtures until an accident teaches him differently... or does it?

Originally published in Australia in 2014, and just now show more (January 2017) being made available in the states, Pig the Pug is an amusing look at issues of sharing and playing well together, as enacted by two dogs. Of course, many young children will see a bit of themselves in both Pig and Trevor - most of us have had moments when we wanted to keep our possessions to ourselves, and most of us have wanted to share in enjoying others' things - and will enjoy seeing Pig "learn his lesson." For my part, I was amused to see that the solution to the problem lies in Pig being encased in a very restrictive cast. One wonders whether matters will revert to their old state, when he is healed. However that may be, this was an entertaining tale, made all the more appealing by Aaron Blabey's hilarious illustrations. Pig's wild antics are perfectly captured in his colorful artwork, as is Trevor's initial friendliness, and then dejection. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories addressing questions of sharing and kindness, particularly stories in which these questions aren't neatly wrapped up in the end. show less

Warren the koala objects strongly to being described as a bear in this entertaining picture-book from Down Under, setting out the history of how his species came to be so erroneously named. The rhyming text follows his complaints, and concludes with a scenario in which his fellow Aussie animals label him a bear regardless...

Like so many of author/artist Aaron Blabey's picture-books, Don't Call Me Bear! pairs an entertaining tale told in rhyme with bright, colorful artwork that perfectly show more captures the madcap sense of humor to be found in the text. Unlike most of Blabey's other books, this one is also educational, offering a basic explanation of how koalas came to be called bears, and discussing the marsupial family to which they belong. Recommended to young animal lovers, and to fans of Aaron Blabey. show less

Part beginning chapter-book, part graphic novel/comic book, The Bad Guys is the first of Australian author/artist Aaron Blabey's hilarious series devoted to the (mis)adventures of its eponymous (ahem!) heroes. Narrated by Mr. Wolf, who is tired of being cast as one of the bad guys in stories, it follows the formation of a new group, composed of traditional "baddies" - Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark - whose intention (whether they like it or not) is to do good deeds. Their first show more effort - rescuing a cat trapped in a tree - doesn't go quite as planned, but Mr. Wolf is not to be put off, and he soon has his fellow bad guys involved in a new plot: to break two hundred dogs out of the local pound...

Intensely amusing - I was chuckling aloud while reading this at lunch! - The Bad Guys is excellently paced, with the perfect pairing of text and artwork, and a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. The reluctant participation of Mr. Wolf's confederates had me giggling, as did the less-than-enthusiastic response of the creatures they set out to save. The scene in which the rescuers attempt to cajole the terrified cat out of the tree is particularly droll, and the scene in which an exasperated Mr. Snake swallows Mr. Piranha had me in stitches. I would imagine that the target audience for this one - I would say, young readers who are just getting going with chapter-books - will be likewise entertained, and will appreciate the silly sense of humor and hilarious hi-jinks. For my part, I now want to know what these four "bad guys" get up to in their next adventure, The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable! show less

The obnoxious Pig the Pug and his long-suffering companion, Trevor the Dachshund, return in this third picture-book chronicling their adventures together. Once again modeling bad behavior, Pig insists on always being the winner, throwing temper tantrums when he loses and gloating when he doesn't. His competitive streak backfires however, when he turns eating into a race, and accidentally swallows his bowl...

Like its predecessors, Pig the Winner pairs an entertaining tale told in rhyme - "Pig show more was a pug / and I'm sorry to say, / if he didn't come first, / it would ruin his day" - with bright, colorful acrylic illustrations that capture the humor of each scene. I'm not sure why the American publisher seems to have skipped over the second Pig book, Pig the Fibber, in bringing these books over to the states from Australia, but I am glad to see another Pig the Pug adventure available. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed the first book about Pig, or who is looking for children's stories that address the themes of competitiveness and good sportsmanship. show less