A Piglet Called Truffle

By Author / Illustrator

Helen Peters, Ellie Snowdon

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Nosy Crow Ltd

ISBN

9780857637734

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-10-2016

Synopsis

The first in a fantastic series of animal stories for younger readers by Waterstones Children's Book Prize-shortlisted author Helen Peters, with beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Ellie Snowdon.Jasmine's dad is a farmer, and her mum is a large-animal vet, so Jasmine spends a lot of time caring for animals and keeping them out of trouble. Unfortunately, this often means she gets into hot water herself...When Jasmine sees a tiny, unloved piglet left to fend for itself, she knows it will die without her help. So she smuggles it home to her farm to nurse it back to health. But she can't keep Truffle forever, and then, one stormy night, disaster strikes...Brilliant storytelling that will make you laugh and cry, this is Dick King-Smith for a new generation. Perfect for readers aged seven and up.Check out Jasmine's other adventures: A Duckling Called Button, A Sheepdog Called Sky, A Kitten Called Holly and many more!

Reviews

Jasmine is a little girl who loves pigs. Her mum is a vet and one night Jasmine accompanies her Mum to tend a sick animal at a farm. While she is there Jasmine finds a little piglet which is the runt of the litter. Full of love for this piglet she takes it home and nurses it back to health. She names him Truffle and he not only becomes her best friend but her companion in the various adventures that Jasmine finds herself part of in the latter part of the story. A very easy book to read and follow. Wonderfully describes life on a farm and portrays a wonderfully loving family. Any child who loves animals will enjoy this book and the relationship between Jasmine and Truffle. 144 pages / Ages 6+ / Reviewed by Beth Grant, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 5+

A Piglet Called Truffle is a warm and realistic story about life on a farm. Jasmine, a farmers daughter, loves animals. This love of animals stems from her parents profession - a farmer and a vet. Jasmine has grown up learning how to care for many animals and this knowledge comes in handy when she finds herself 'pig napping' the runt of a local farmer's litter of piglets. After a close call, Jasmine manages to raise the pig as her own. A heartwarming tale of how any animal can become your best friend if you love it and care for it enough. This is the first in a new series and is certain to be loved by children between 7 and 9, especially those who share a passion for animals. This particularly reminds of the Animal Ark series of books and I am intrigued to see where Helen Peters take this series. My children in class enjoyed listening to the progress of Truffle over the course of the story and it was a another good example of a longer narrative with chapters. Looking back, 5 and 6 year olds are possibly just too young to enjoy this fully but children of 7+ should find this accessible. 144 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Kyle Matravers, teacher.