Product Description

Wendell FlutzÂ’s room isnÂ’t a mess. ItÂ’s a total pigsty. But WendellÂ’s mother canÂ’t get him to clean it up.Wendell doesnÂ’t think the mess is so awful. In fact, he doesnÂ’t even mind it when one day he discovers a real pig sitting on his bed!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #312626 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback

From Publishers Weekly
Teague ( The Trouble with the Johnsons ; The Field Beyond the Outfield ) is once again right on target, this time skewering a subject dear to families everywhere with his idiosyncratic brand of sly humor. When his mother pronounces his room a "pigsty" and sends him upstairs to clean it, Wendell Fultz finds a large pig lounging on the bed (unmade, naturally). Unfazed, the feckless Wendell simply rearranges the mess and joins in the merriment. His mother gives up, and for the next week, Wendell cohabits happily (and untidily) with his newfound friend--and yet another porcine companion follows close on his hooves. But when a second pair of pigs shows up and the four of them start ruining Wendell's toys, even he has to admit that the mess is getting to be too much. Much of the tale's fun resides in Teague's quirky acrylic art (the first word of the text, for example, features a dropped capital "M" fashioned from dirty socks). Whether Wendell and his friends are jumping on the bed or playing Monopoly on the rug, their antics are rendered in the bold palette of a gleefully inventive imagination. Highly recommended for neat-freaks and mess-makers alike. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-An amiable fantasy on a common theme. When Wendell's mother takes a look at his messy room, throws up her hands in resignation, and tells him he can live in a pigsty if he wants to, he is delighted. What only he knows is that two pigs have found his room so agreeable that they have moved in. He enjoys playing with them, even though he has to give them his bed and they hog his pillows and blankets. But even Wendell has his limit, and when they chew his baseball cards, he reaches it. His mother hands her son a broom, and in a flash of inspiration he organizes the porkers into a cleaning crew. Finding the room a bit too neat for their liking, they return to the farm. Wendell, having learned his lesson, keeps his room tidy after that-except for the occasions when the animals return for a game of Monopoly. Though the premise is not original, it is deftly executed in an appropriately humorous style that has great child appeal. The acrylic, cartoonlike illustrations evoke a time when boys played with yo-yos, electric trains, and board games. Teague's use of clean line renders the paintings easily visible for group sharing, but close observation reveals comical details. An enjoyable choice for story time and for reading at home.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 4-8. What a great read for all little piggies! Kids will certainly relate to Wendell Fultz, who refuses to clean up his room and is delighted when several fat porkers arrive to share his "pigsty"--as his mother so witheringly deems his room. But pigs are pigs, and soon even Wendell is getting annoyed with hoofprints on the comic books, chewed-up baseball cards, and, come night, pigs hogging the blankets. The book's ending falls a little flat--Wendell organizes a cleanup in which the pigs take part, but it hastens their departure. Still, especially evident in the artwork, there's enough fun to carry the story. From the dust jacket picture featuring two firm and fully packed pigs throwing open the door to Wendell's bedroom to the fond farewell the oinkers offer before climbing into a pickup, the pictures are loaded with laughs. Fun for kids and the adults who pick up after them. Ilene Cooper

Customer Reviews

Are You Ready For Something Weird?
Have you ever had your room messy? I bet you have. See what happens to Wendell in Pigsty, by Mark Teague. This book is about a boy named Wendell that doesn't clean up his room. Wendell gets a big surprise. This book is so, so good because when you read it you can see the pictures in your mind. Cool, right? I like the part when Wendell makes new friends. I also like when Wendell and the new friends eat pizza. I think the message is always keep your room clean. Me too! You'll see what comes to Wendell's house by reading this book.

Would You Ever Want a Mess as Big as Your Room?
Would you ever want to have a mess as big as the size of your bedroom? The book Pigsty, by Mark Teague was about a boy named Wendell who doesn't want to clean up his bedroom. I liked the part in this book when the pigs have to sleep in Wendell's bed because there is no room on the floor. This is good because it teaches you to always listen to your mom and clean up your room. If you don't pigs will start to live with you so, watch out! Will the pigs ever leave Wendell's room? You will find out if you read this book.

A Piggie Problem
This book is about a boy named Wendell. He would not clean his room. It got so messy that a pig moved in. Wendell did not mind the pig, so he let his room get messier. It got so messy, that four pigs were living in his room. He did not mind them, until one day when he got home from school and the pigs had ruined some of his things. They sat on his basketball, there were hoof prints on his comic books, and his baseball cards were chewed. Wendell did not know what to do. The mess was too big to clean by himself. To find out what Wendell does to get rid of the pigs, read Pigsty by Mark Teague.