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The Christmas Pig
One boy and his toy are about to change everything…
Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens – DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life… even toys. And Jack’s newest toy – the Christmas Pig (DP’s annoying replacement) – has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known…
A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child’s love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world’s greatest storytellers. A gorgeously gifty hardback, with full-colour jacket and featuring 9 black and white spreads and decorative inside art from renowned illustrator, Jim Field.
Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens – DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life… even toys. And Jack’s newest toy – the Christmas Pig (DP’s annoying replacement) – has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known…
A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child’s love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world’s greatest storytellers. A gorgeously gifty hardback, with full-colour jacket and featuring 9 black and white spreads and decorative inside art from renowned illustrator, Jim Field.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2021
2341 people are currently reading
20434 people want to read
About the author
J.K. Rowling
624 books232k followersSee also: Robert Galbraith
Although she writes under the pen name J.K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling, her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.
Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
Although she writes under the pen name J.K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling, her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.
Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,683 reviews
June 10, 2021
there is a person who obviously didn’t read this book and rated it a one star just because they didn’t like the author. we are supposed to rate the book based on the BOOK and not wether or not u like the author
April 14, 2022
(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: An animated afterlife, on grief and facing truth, too deus-ex rapture, but expertly captures the absolute ardor of youth.
Notes: An animated afterlife, on grief and facing truth, too deus-ex rapture, but expertly captures the absolute ardor of youth.
August 17, 2025
(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: Death, divorce, remorse, and more discussed by allegory, a danger-diving, cheer-reviving, charming children's story.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
Notes: Death, divorce, remorse, and more discussed by allegory, a danger-diving, cheer-reviving, charming children's story.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
November 18, 2021
I wish that Goodreads would not allow ratings from people that have not even read the book. It is unfair to the author and to the community. The rating system is a helpful tool when choosing a read and is about the book and not politics.
I thought this was a beautiful, creative, and enchanting story for children. And for all that are young in spirit! It is about the beauty and miracles of life and love, hope and joy. Very sweet.
I thought this was a beautiful, creative, and enchanting story for children. And for all that are young in spirit! It is about the beauty and miracles of life and love, hope and joy. Very sweet.
October 19, 2021
What happens to all the keys that we lose, umbrellas that we forget, jewelry that we misplace … With things so damaged that we simply stop remembering that they exist?
They end up in the Land of the Lost. Extremely dangerous and magical place.
A place where lost items live in the hope that the owners will remember them and thus save them from oblivion and terrible fate.
J.K. Rowling once again created an incredible world of imagination. A world full of love, selflessness, sacrifice. But also full of sadness, evil, loneliness and the truth that, every day, people lose much more than small things.
As children, we all had a favorite toy that was our comfort and protection.
We all NEEDED that soft bundle to hug.
That toy had a special power.
You will remember that if you decide to read this book.
No lock can hold Hope. Remember that, too.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Absolute perfection. Countless shining stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
They end up in the Land of the Lost. Extremely dangerous and magical place.
A place where lost items live in the hope that the owners will remember them and thus save them from oblivion and terrible fate.
J.K. Rowling once again created an incredible world of imagination. A world full of love, selflessness, sacrifice. But also full of sadness, evil, loneliness and the truth that, every day, people lose much more than small things.
As children, we all had a favorite toy that was our comfort and protection.
We all NEEDED that soft bundle to hug.
That toy had a special power.
You will remember that if you decide to read this book.
No lock can hold Hope. Remember that, too.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Absolute perfection. Countless shining stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
November 20, 2021
The book is cute and a bit sad but I don’t want to own the book, I want someone to buy me my own stuffed animal Christmas Pig 😏😘
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
May 10, 2021
Who allows this woman to publish more books??
So disheartening to see also people being excited about this book when,,, it sounds mediocre at best and Rowling's writing became worse after the HP series. Like the fact some of y'all prioritize whatever this trash is over trans people is speaking volumes.
So disheartening to see also people being excited about this book when,,, it sounds mediocre at best and Rowling's writing became worse after the HP series. Like the fact some of y'all prioritize whatever this trash is over trans people is speaking volumes.
October 12, 2021
I received my copy this morning and only meant to skim through but ended up reading it in one sitting. 😂 Such a cute story that I feel will be a lovely one to read with children. Now I have to hide the book until Christmas and pretend i haven't read it because it was a gift for my own kids 🙃
Want to read
August 5, 2021So, I have officially lost my mind. I want to read a book about a Christmas pig. And I'm not sorry
October 22, 2021
Questa non è una recensione alla signora Rowling: convengo con voi che come essere umano abbia deluso molto.
Ma su una cosa si può solo che essere d'accordo. Sa scrivere.
Questo libro è rivolto ai giovanissimi, anche a coloro che non sanno ancora leggere. Quindi affrontatelo come tale.
Jack e Minalimo, detto Lino, ne affrontano tante tutti i giorni. È solo grazie a lui se Jack riesce a sopportare tutti i cambiamenti che stanno arrivando così improvvisamente. Non è sempre facile essere un bambino buono e ubbidiente, ma Minalimo sa ascoltare e lo fa sentire al sicuro, capito. Gli basta prendergli la zampetta di stoffa e tutto è affrontabile. Ma quando Lino viene perduto, Jack è pronto a tutto pur di ritrovarlo.
Un libro in cui non cambierei o aggiungerei nulla. Dolcezza, amicizia, avventura, amore ed empatia. Ecco alcuni dei messaggi che vi arriveranno con questa lettura.
Così tenera e delicata da far bene al cuore dei piccoli, ma (forse soprattutto) anche ai grandi.
Ma su una cosa si può solo che essere d'accordo. Sa scrivere.
Questo libro è rivolto ai giovanissimi, anche a coloro che non sanno ancora leggere. Quindi affrontatelo come tale.
Jack e Minalimo, detto Lino, ne affrontano tante tutti i giorni. È solo grazie a lui se Jack riesce a sopportare tutti i cambiamenti che stanno arrivando così improvvisamente. Non è sempre facile essere un bambino buono e ubbidiente, ma Minalimo sa ascoltare e lo fa sentire al sicuro, capito. Gli basta prendergli la zampetta di stoffa e tutto è affrontabile. Ma quando Lino viene perduto, Jack è pronto a tutto pur di ritrovarlo.
Un libro in cui non cambierei o aggiungerei nulla. Dolcezza, amicizia, avventura, amore ed empatia. Ecco alcuni dei messaggi che vi arriveranno con questa lettura.
Così tenera e delicata da far bene al cuore dei piccoli, ma (forse soprattutto) anche ai grandi.
December 23, 2021
Magical and enchanting.
I enjoyed Jack's adventure throughout the Land of the Lost. The characters he encounters throughout his journey are clever and endearing. This is a story about love, loss, friendship, and kindness.
The majority of the story takes place on Christmas Eve and ends on Christmas Day 🎄. This is a heartwarming story with vivid descriptions of the imaginary world of the Land of the Lost. The short chapters and illustrations make it a great read-aloud for little ones.
I enjoyed Jack's adventure throughout the Land of the Lost. The characters he encounters throughout his journey are clever and endearing. This is a story about love, loss, friendship, and kindness.
The majority of the story takes place on Christmas Eve and ends on Christmas Day 🎄. This is a heartwarming story with vivid descriptions of the imaginary world of the Land of the Lost. The short chapters and illustrations make it a great read-aloud for little ones.
June 29, 2023
I haven't read this yet.
December 12, 2023
If Only we remained kids forever, instead of the world of grownups and their conditional love.
i wonder if Rowling and Gaiman are teaming up to confuse the hell out of us, another character from books of magic (original john ney rieber run) looked super similar to the loser here.
The Wobbly : A terrifying creature that resembles a bird's skull inside a flapping black cape, the Wobbly exists to destroy the things that Tim has thrown away.
a land of the lost isn't really an original idea too, but everything else about this children novel was original.
Its a really sweet tale, and j k Rowling is like a loving mother, telling the ultimate story for children to be able to deal with the changes they have to go through because of adult's complicated lives.
but i believe it can't be helped, you can't remain with someone even though you don't love them anymore, or because you fell in love with someone else, or because they hurt or betrayed you, and the sad outcome is children will always be caught in the middle if they stay together or not.
it was realistic, the pointy or strong things were officers of the loser, and the loser was that Huge ass thing that is made up of lots of broken rough or edgy things.
Blue bunny made me cry when he played the martyr to get jack and CP into the city, why is the idea of someone sacrificing himself for others is so appealing to us? i don't know, it really shouldn't be.
Happiness made me Awe-struck, for a second there i was like would my happiness also be in the city of the missed?
making bad habits and good emotions, things that could be lost and missed was a great idea.
i believe writing children novels is an art, a very delicate art, i could recognize at some points, that if you write part that way in an adult novel people would call you an amateur, but in a children novel people would call you a pro, there was a lot of really fine details that i thought children would enjoy greatly reading this or listening to it before bed.
Children love is pure and unconditional, adults ruin the entire idea of love
i wonder if Rowling and Gaiman are teaming up to confuse the hell out of us, another character from books of magic (original john ney rieber run) looked super similar to the loser here.
The Wobbly : A terrifying creature that resembles a bird's skull inside a flapping black cape, the Wobbly exists to destroy the things that Tim has thrown away.
a land of the lost isn't really an original idea too, but everything else about this children novel was original.
Its a really sweet tale, and j k Rowling is like a loving mother, telling the ultimate story for children to be able to deal with the changes they have to go through because of adult's complicated lives.
but i believe it can't be helped, you can't remain with someone even though you don't love them anymore, or because you fell in love with someone else, or because they hurt or betrayed you, and the sad outcome is children will always be caught in the middle if they stay together or not.
the keys kept yelling : i am in your other coat you idiot
it was realistic, the pointy or strong things were officers of the loser, and the loser was that Huge ass thing that is made up of lots of broken rough or edgy things.
Blue bunny made me cry when he played the martyr to get jack and CP into the city, why is the idea of someone sacrificing himself for others is so appealing to us? i don't know, it really shouldn't be.
Happiness made me Awe-struck, for a second there i was like would my happiness also be in the city of the missed?
making bad habits and good emotions, things that could be lost and missed was a great idea.
i believe writing children novels is an art, a very delicate art, i could recognize at some points, that if you write part that way in an adult novel people would call you an amateur, but in a children novel people would call you a pro, there was a lot of really fine details that i thought children would enjoy greatly reading this or listening to it before bed.
Children love is pure and unconditional, adults ruin the entire idea of love
October 17, 2021
The most ridiculous lie people love to say is that original stories are hard to come by. It’s not really the stories but how they’re told. And the best writers are basically telling the same story over and over again, and they’re the best writers because they always have interesting ways to tell them.
So: J.K.Rowling and The Christmas Pig.
Like all of Rowling’s stories this one is about a life that is going horribly wrong with a chance to set things right. That’s what Rowling believes, and that it isn’t magic, or some radical twist of fate that accomplishes it (and what a horrid misreading that would be!) but coming to terms with what’s happened, and moving on, given a proper opportunity.
I’ve loved everything I’ve read from Rowling. She is a great writer. Period. As of 2021, if you wanted to read only one book to figure out how timeless and insightful and magical she is, I recommend you read The Christmas Pig.
So: J.K.Rowling and The Christmas Pig.
Like all of Rowling’s stories this one is about a life that is going horribly wrong with a chance to set things right. That’s what Rowling believes, and that it isn’t magic, or some radical twist of fate that accomplishes it (and what a horrid misreading that would be!) but coming to terms with what’s happened, and moving on, given a proper opportunity.
I’ve loved everything I’ve read from Rowling. She is a great writer. Period. As of 2021, if you wanted to read only one book to figure out how timeless and insightful and magical she is, I recommend you read The Christmas Pig.
December 24, 2021
This story comes from a very good place and you can tell it. The writing is so charming, filling the quieter moments with life. Jack is adorable. I wanted to squish his cheeks just how he squishes his piggy's. It's not all cute, though; silently Rowling deals with mature themes, divorce and estrangement and change and loss biggest of all.
Her opinions may not all be aligned with mine, but she articulates herself well in writing while implying certain morals. I wouldn't call myself the biggest Harry Potter fan, but I am indeed a fan, having grown up with those books and movies, and she still has the magic — that way with words where they jump to obey their queen. Not a one of them out of place. She took me back, man. I was a child reading this precious puppy, flipping pages as though on a treasure hunt. I was THERE with Jack, you know. I think most of us have been where Jack is, as children, coping with changes, holding on with delicate little hands to cheap, priceless things.
I can see this coming to life as an animated Pixar film, a festive brother to the excellent Toy Story, a blast of energy to light and lighten your day. As cartoonish as the events that ensue in the story are, Rowling makes sure they're vivid and alive inside your head. I scarcely paid attention to the illustrations, but they're nice and sweet and sparse, as they well should be. Editing's tight, making sure the use of words is economical.
If you wished you could poke holes in the plot -- which is silly from afar, and sillier up close -- if you wanted you could accuse the story of banality -- but truly there is heart and cheer and purity here, and humor that will click with audiences target or no; and there are lessons and love.
If you're tired of feeling tired, read The Christmas Pig. If you want to go on a Disneyland joyride while sitting on your couch at home, read The Christmas Pig.
Oink oink, cheers, take off that frown, spread some smiles. Stop pulling people down.
Her opinions may not all be aligned with mine, but she articulates herself well in writing while implying certain morals. I wouldn't call myself the biggest Harry Potter fan, but I am indeed a fan, having grown up with those books and movies, and she still has the magic — that way with words where they jump to obey their queen. Not a one of them out of place. She took me back, man. I was a child reading this precious puppy, flipping pages as though on a treasure hunt. I was THERE with Jack, you know. I think most of us have been where Jack is, as children, coping with changes, holding on with delicate little hands to cheap, priceless things.
I can see this coming to life as an animated Pixar film, a festive brother to the excellent Toy Story, a blast of energy to light and lighten your day. As cartoonish as the events that ensue in the story are, Rowling makes sure they're vivid and alive inside your head. I scarcely paid attention to the illustrations, but they're nice and sweet and sparse, as they well should be. Editing's tight, making sure the use of words is economical.
If you wished you could poke holes in the plot -- which is silly from afar, and sillier up close -- if you wanted you could accuse the story of banality -- but truly there is heart and cheer and purity here, and humor that will click with audiences target or no; and there are lessons and love.
If you're tired of feeling tired, read The Christmas Pig. If you want to go on a Disneyland joyride while sitting on your couch at home, read The Christmas Pig.
Oink oink, cheers, take off that frown, spread some smiles. Stop pulling people down.
November 11, 2021
Devo ammettere che mi sono approcciata a questo libro unicamente perché mi è stata consigliata la versione in audiolibro (magnifica, effettivamente).
Se devo essere onesta, pensavo di essere troppo "cresciuta" per questa lettura, ma si è rivelato il classico libro che ha qualcosa da dire a tutte le età.
Tante sezioni che per un bambino possono risultare semplicemente passaggi narrativi, mi hanno colpita moltissimo; perché, alla fine, ciò su cui riflette Rowling è un tema più che mai attuale e problematico: lo spreco.
Quante cose, che ci sembravano necessarie al momento dell'acquisto, giacciono dimenticate in un cassetto? Quanti articoli di poco valore abbiamo gettato dopo un paio di utilizzi?
Dalla Landa dei Perduti ci giunge la risposta: veramente tanti.
A fare da "contorno" a un argomento un po' difficile c'è la tenera storia di Jack e Lino, della loro amicizia e del lungo percorso che il protagonista dovrà affrontare per ritrovare il suo maialino, tutto ambientato in una notte speciale: la notte di miracoli e delle cause perse, nota ai più come Vigilia di Natale.
Se devo essere onesta, pensavo di essere troppo "cresciuta" per questa lettura, ma si è rivelato il classico libro che ha qualcosa da dire a tutte le età.
Tante sezioni che per un bambino possono risultare semplicemente passaggi narrativi, mi hanno colpita moltissimo; perché, alla fine, ciò su cui riflette Rowling è un tema più che mai attuale e problematico: lo spreco.
Quante cose, che ci sembravano necessarie al momento dell'acquisto, giacciono dimenticate in un cassetto? Quanti articoli di poco valore abbiamo gettato dopo un paio di utilizzi?
Dalla Landa dei Perduti ci giunge la risposta: veramente tanti.
A fare da "contorno" a un argomento un po' difficile c'è la tenera storia di Jack e Lino, della loro amicizia e del lungo percorso che il protagonista dovrà affrontare per ritrovare il suo maialino, tutto ambientato in una notte speciale: la notte di miracoli e delle cause perse, nota ai più come Vigilia di Natale.
December 18, 2021
This has been a unique reading experience, not because I loved this book so much (my own rating would be 3,5 - 4 stars), but because I read this book with/to my 8-year-old son and it brought us even closer.
While he likes books and tales, longer ones never held his attention before. This story was the first where night after night I read on and saw him paying attention, absorbed, touched, thinking about all the issues of loss and separation, asking questions afterwards and remembering details I did not catch.
It has been awesome and deserves all the stars.
Thank you, JKR.
While he likes books and tales, longer ones never held his attention before. This story was the first where night after night I read on and saw him paying attention, absorbed, touched, thinking about all the issues of loss and separation, asking questions afterwards and remembering details I did not catch.
It has been awesome and deserves all the stars.
Thank you, JKR.
January 10, 2022
LETTURA DI GRUPPO E&L: Natale
Si è un libro per bambini, e si vede. Ma è una storia anche per adulti, piena di significati non proprio nascosti.
Se l’ avessi letta da piccola l’ avrei adorata. Ho sempre pensato che i miei giochi, le Cose, avessero vita propria e mi chiedevo spesso dove finissero quando non le usavo più, o le perdevo, o si rompevano.
Da adulta però ho potuto cogliere altre sfumature, più mature. Ammonimenti e rassicurazioni.
La Rowling ha scritto una storia magica, perfetta per questo periodo, che fa riflettere, che riscalda i cuori e dona speranza.
Mi sono commossa, davvero non volevo crederci, eppure qualche lacrima l’ho versata, di dolore e di gioia. Ho girato l’ultima pagina con un sorriso stampato in faccia.
Per questo ringrazio lei per averla pensata e scritta, i ragazzi che hanno votato il libro per la lettura di gruppo, e la biblioteca che mi ha permesso di leggerla e di iniziare l’anno con il cuore pieno di amore e si speranza.
Lettura consigliata a chi ama sognare.
Si è un libro per bambini, e si vede. Ma è una storia anche per adulti, piena di significati non proprio nascosti.
Se l’ avessi letta da piccola l’ avrei adorata. Ho sempre pensato che i miei giochi, le Cose, avessero vita propria e mi chiedevo spesso dove finissero quando non le usavo più, o le perdevo, o si rompevano.
Da adulta però ho potuto cogliere altre sfumature, più mature. Ammonimenti e rassicurazioni.
La Rowling ha scritto una storia magica, perfetta per questo periodo, che fa riflettere, che riscalda i cuori e dona speranza.
Mi sono commossa, davvero non volevo crederci, eppure qualche lacrima l’ho versata, di dolore e di gioia. Ho girato l’ultima pagina con un sorriso stampato in faccia.
Per questo ringrazio lei per averla pensata e scritta, i ragazzi che hanno votato il libro per la lettura di gruppo, e la biblioteca che mi ha permesso di leggerla e di iniziare l’anno con il cuore pieno di amore e si speranza.
Lettura consigliata a chi ama sognare.
November 9, 2021
This magical tale of a boy who goes on a quest for his missing stuffed pig is sweet, sappy, and schmaltzy - all the things a Christmas book should be. It's sure to be next year's blockbuster holiday movie, or a boffo special streaming exclusively on Disney Plus.
September 29, 2021
Loved my early copy of this book! And I love J.K. Rowling. This is a heartwarming tale about a boy and his toy.
November 3, 2021
[this review is irrespective of the author. this review is solely based on the story and my experience while reading it]
Okay, two things first.
1. That gold foiling on the naked hardcover!
2.This is the best audiobook I ever listened to. The production was of such high quality, I mean, I am speechless. It felt like a theater production.
This is the story of a little of Jack who loses his beloved pig toy, DP, one Christmas. But Christmas eve is a night for miracles and things comes to life. Literally. His toys come to life and amongst them is Christmas Pig (DP’s replacement). Christmas Pig comes with a daring plan to find Jack’s old pig toy. And so, they venture on a magical adventure to save his beloved pig.
This book was so magical and imaginative, also very reminiscent of the Toy Story movies. It’s a very cute and adorable story about a boy trying to find his friend, but also a story of learning to let go. The world building was wonderful and unique, truly a fairly tale in all sense.
The illustrations were beautiful but I wish there were more of them.
Overall, it was a wonderful book to read, I had a delightful time reading this book. This book will be perfect for kids to read and also perfect for Christmas.
[PS I know a lot of people don’t like JK Rowling and I know many people cannot separate the art from the artist. But I personally separate the art from the artist. Please don’t hate me for it. I am scared to post this review, not gonna lie.]
Okay, two things first.
1. That gold foiling on the naked hardcover!
2.This is the best audiobook I ever listened to. The production was of such high quality, I mean, I am speechless. It felt like a theater production.
This is the story of a little of Jack who loses his beloved pig toy, DP, one Christmas. But Christmas eve is a night for miracles and things comes to life. Literally. His toys come to life and amongst them is Christmas Pig (DP’s replacement). Christmas Pig comes with a daring plan to find Jack’s old pig toy. And so, they venture on a magical adventure to save his beloved pig.
This book was so magical and imaginative, also very reminiscent of the Toy Story movies. It’s a very cute and adorable story about a boy trying to find his friend, but also a story of learning to let go. The world building was wonderful and unique, truly a fairly tale in all sense.
The illustrations were beautiful but I wish there were more of them.
Overall, it was a wonderful book to read, I had a delightful time reading this book. This book will be perfect for kids to read and also perfect for Christmas.
[PS I know a lot of people don’t like JK Rowling and I know many people cannot separate the art from the artist. But I personally separate the art from the artist. Please don’t hate me for it. I am scared to post this review, not gonna lie.]
December 16, 2023
Merry Christmas & Happy new year my friends 🙌🎄🎆
Say hello to Kamena !!
“Losing is part of living. But some of us live even though we're lost. That's what love does.”
My beloved teddybear 🐾❤ Since I was the first to say, Mama, Papa, Tita, and Auntie!😂❤ my childhood, which is vague in my memory, was the most gifted, the most affectionate, the most caring, the most loving, and the most eager for my existence!! Everyone who passed by our house had to bring me a gift in the form of a wheel, girls’ toys, a Barbie doll, etc. Their first joy!
“Our humans' love has made us immortal.”
But the strange thing is that I did not like any of these gifts at all, and I used to neglect them a lot, and my father always struggled to arrange them and take care of them instead of me. Perhaps I would become more rational one day!!
But this did not happen!😂 And in the midst of all that crowding and all that douche and hustle and bustle. In my room, especially the living room, my attention was caught by a bear of a light caramel color,of faint latte, with curling hairs covering it,and black eyes looks like delicious chocolate beads, and a mixture of the smell of perfume. My mother’s warm and my father’s strong, pungent perfume together. It is more likely that it was a gift from my father to my mother back in the days, and you can't Imagine how I got into it with my hands and teeth. O' Kamina, how I love him!
I was a child, no more than 6 years old. As I remember, I loved him fabulously. I loved his warmth at night next to me on the bed, and I loved his amazing suitability for the tea parties that I used to hold under my imaginary house made of pillows from the WHOLE house. I admit that I was a difficult child. There is no doubt. But I was always a dreamer and he was always my imaginative and universal companion.
Until I reached twelve-ish years old something near that and I was surprised that I no longer see him, nor did I even feel his presence anymore - he was no longer there because I - most likely - had completely forgotten about him, in the crowd of adolescence and friends and the horrors of the world and its sweet and bitter, I discovered that I forgot 'my world', my imagination weakened, and I lost my passion for the unfamiliar, and in my view I became 'ordinary' a muggle dare say, and for this reason. I was sad, so I probably remembered him.
“I may not shine as brightly as my friend Happiness, but my flame is harder to extinguish.”
I saw him looking at me while I was in a state of nervousness and crying hysterically, and I was startling everyone who came to see me in the room - to check on me. I was in a state of sadness and hysterical shock - proper dramatically teenager I guess - Then I noticed him from afar staring at me, then I remembered his warmth and tenderness and I remembered how little I had always been. Crying and laughing a lot. I remembered how I was 'the always laughing soul of the house'. I remembered my smile and I remembered how easy and simple my life was and full of joy and laughter everywhere until they were begging me to stop laughing because of how much it bothered them, with the sound of my laughter and my childish jokes. I did not feel myself when I was under the blanket on the bed, enjoying the warmth and temperature of the room, my mother’s kiss on my forehead, and my father’s caring voice not far away, until I realized that I had fallen asleep from crying a lot after embracing Kamina the warm bear, full of tenderness, and the fragrant scent of my mother and father. Tingling to my nose, and the chills that run through my body whenever I feel him next to me
Rowling has a fabulous creativity in making you a child in five seconds, making your pure, fragrant childish spirit explode until it leaves you immersed in dreams filled with clouds, cotton candy, and the smells of baking and cake that fill the house with the scent of cinnamon, burnt chocolate, and sparkling caramel! Maybe You will dream of the most beautiful things you love and what you want most, what makes you a child the most, and you will recall tender and friendly memories. It warms the heart and brings comfort and calm.
I'm not a Christian but I felt every religious refrence with the heart of my mind. The family situation was a sensitive one to represent in a children fairy tale, also the art of the book is magnificently good. It was a sweet, tender childhood journey, extremely creative and full of strange and profound ideas. It made you always thank God for the blessing of love and mercy. It made you love yourself as you are and be honest with yourself. Your conscience, to return her to her pure, sweet and gentle soul and origin.
THANK YOU ROWLING, I REALLY DO LOVE YOU ✨🦋❤
Say hello to Kamena !!
“Losing is part of living. But some of us live even though we're lost. That's what love does.”
My beloved teddybear 🐾❤ Since I was the first to say, Mama, Papa, Tita, and Auntie!😂❤ my childhood, which is vague in my memory, was the most gifted, the most affectionate, the most caring, the most loving, and the most eager for my existence!! Everyone who passed by our house had to bring me a gift in the form of a wheel, girls’ toys, a Barbie doll, etc. Their first joy!
“Our humans' love has made us immortal.”
But the strange thing is that I did not like any of these gifts at all, and I used to neglect them a lot, and my father always struggled to arrange them and take care of them instead of me. Perhaps I would become more rational one day!!
But this did not happen!😂 And in the midst of all that crowding and all that douche and hustle and bustle. In my room, especially the living room, my attention was caught by a bear of a light caramel color,of faint latte, with curling hairs covering it,and black eyes looks like delicious chocolate beads, and a mixture of the smell of perfume. My mother’s warm and my father’s strong, pungent perfume together. It is more likely that it was a gift from my father to my mother back in the days, and you can't Imagine how I got into it with my hands and teeth. O' Kamina, how I love him!
I was a child, no more than 6 years old. As I remember, I loved him fabulously. I loved his warmth at night next to me on the bed, and I loved his amazing suitability for the tea parties that I used to hold under my imaginary house made of pillows from the WHOLE house. I admit that I was a difficult child. There is no doubt. But I was always a dreamer and he was always my imaginative and universal companion.
Until I reached twelve-ish years old something near that and I was surprised that I no longer see him, nor did I even feel his presence anymore - he was no longer there because I - most likely - had completely forgotten about him, in the crowd of adolescence and friends and the horrors of the world and its sweet and bitter, I discovered that I forgot 'my world', my imagination weakened, and I lost my passion for the unfamiliar, and in my view I became 'ordinary' a muggle dare say, and for this reason. I was sad, so I probably remembered him.
“I may not shine as brightly as my friend Happiness, but my flame is harder to extinguish.”
I saw him looking at me while I was in a state of nervousness and crying hysterically, and I was startling everyone who came to see me in the room - to check on me. I was in a state of sadness and hysterical shock - proper dramatically teenager I guess - Then I noticed him from afar staring at me, then I remembered his warmth and tenderness and I remembered how little I had always been. Crying and laughing a lot. I remembered how I was 'the always laughing soul of the house'. I remembered my smile and I remembered how easy and simple my life was and full of joy and laughter everywhere until they were begging me to stop laughing because of how much it bothered them, with the sound of my laughter and my childish jokes. I did not feel myself when I was under the blanket on the bed, enjoying the warmth and temperature of the room, my mother’s kiss on my forehead, and my father’s caring voice not far away, until I realized that I had fallen asleep from crying a lot after embracing Kamina the warm bear, full of tenderness, and the fragrant scent of my mother and father. Tingling to my nose, and the chills that run through my body whenever I feel him next to me
Rowling has a fabulous creativity in making you a child in five seconds, making your pure, fragrant childish spirit explode until it leaves you immersed in dreams filled with clouds, cotton candy, and the smells of baking and cake that fill the house with the scent of cinnamon, burnt chocolate, and sparkling caramel! Maybe You will dream of the most beautiful things you love and what you want most, what makes you a child the most, and you will recall tender and friendly memories. It warms the heart and brings comfort and calm.
I'm not a Christian but I felt every religious refrence with the heart of my mind. The family situation was a sensitive one to represent in a children fairy tale, also the art of the book is magnificently good. It was a sweet, tender childhood journey, extremely creative and full of strange and profound ideas. It made you always thank God for the blessing of love and mercy. It made you love yourself as you are and be honest with yourself. Your conscience, to return her to her pure, sweet and gentle soul and origin.
THANK YOU ROWLING, I REALLY DO LOVE YOU ✨🦋❤
December 30, 2021
«Sono i Modulatori dei Perduti. Sono i servi del Perdente.»
Allora.
Credo che, rubando ad Eco una riflessione sul suo Il nome della rosa, potrei provare ad affrontare questo racconto di Natale privilegiando tre livelli di lettura.
Il primo, il più accessibile, è quello destinato ai bambini, che resteranno affascinati dalla lettura di questa favoletta. Soprattutto quelli che questo libro lo avranno letto (o ascoltato) insieme ai genitori, a una zia, un nonno, una persona che gli vuole veramente bene. E questo consentirà loro di perdersi nel sogno e, nel frattempo, recepire anche alcuni semplici (ma fondamentali) precetti morali.
Il secondo, per bimbe e bimbi svegli e adulti appassionati, che alla piacevolezza della narrazione, assoceranno la decrittazione e gli insegnamenti di questa... operetta morale.
Il terzo è quello che associa al godimento del messaggio finale, il piacere della scoperta, la condivisione complice di alcuni riferimenti e, più di tutti, la magia del fantasticare e di far riaffiorare (anche in maniera arbitraria, e perciò assai discutibile!) antiche emozioni... letterarie.
E così l’orrido cratere del Perdente, rassomiglia al pozzo di Isengard, distrutto dagli Ent, dove i goblin di Saruman creavano gli Uruk-hai. E lo stesso Perdente, incrocio tra il Mordiroccia e il Grande Nulla del Regno di Fantàsia (o forse, meglio, Colui Che Non Deve Essere Nominato).
E il “Che vedo, che vedo? Un di Troppo diverso da tutti...” del Perdente, che mi ricorda l’ “Ucci ucci, sento odor di cristianucci” dell’Orco di Pollicino, ma anche delle frottole sulla morte di Simonino da Trento.
E quando Bussola, sempre a proposito del Perdente, dice: “Dopo che s’è succhiato la parte Vivificata di una Cosa”, come non riandare col pensiero ai Dementors!
E quando Speranza (un incrocio tra la Fanny di Silente e l’Aquila che salva Gandalf) racconta della sua padrona, ora in prigione, e dice: “...faceva qualcosa di buono: protestava contro un uomo molto simile a Potere. Lui era furioso e così l’ha rinchiusa”, non puoi non pensare a tutti i perseguitati nel mondo per delitti di opinione; il primo tra tanti, Nelson Mandela.
E ancora, le gondole che trasporteranno le Cose Perdute nel cuore della Città dei rimpianti, assomigliano alle barche che, attraversando il Lago Nero, accompagneranno ad Hogwarts gli studenti del primo anno.
Insomma, credo di essermi perso ancora mille riferimenti (Alice e il suo Paese delle Meraviglie, e via discorrnedo...) ma sicuramente non ho smarrito il piacere, ancora una volta, di perdermi nel sogno che J.K. mi ha regalato.
Che sia per tutti, ma proprio tutti in tutto il mondo, un Nuovo Anno di serenità e armonia.
Vostro
Albus Eugene Percival Wulfric Brian Silente
Allora.
Credo che, rubando ad Eco una riflessione sul suo Il nome della rosa, potrei provare ad affrontare questo racconto di Natale privilegiando tre livelli di lettura.
Il primo, il più accessibile, è quello destinato ai bambini, che resteranno affascinati dalla lettura di questa favoletta. Soprattutto quelli che questo libro lo avranno letto (o ascoltato) insieme ai genitori, a una zia, un nonno, una persona che gli vuole veramente bene. E questo consentirà loro di perdersi nel sogno e, nel frattempo, recepire anche alcuni semplici (ma fondamentali) precetti morali.
Il secondo, per bimbe e bimbi svegli e adulti appassionati, che alla piacevolezza della narrazione, assoceranno la decrittazione e gli insegnamenti di questa... operetta morale.
Il terzo è quello che associa al godimento del messaggio finale, il piacere della scoperta, la condivisione complice di alcuni riferimenti e, più di tutti, la magia del fantasticare e di far riaffiorare (anche in maniera arbitraria, e perciò assai discutibile!) antiche emozioni... letterarie.
E così l’orrido cratere del Perdente, rassomiglia al pozzo di Isengard, distrutto dagli Ent, dove i goblin di Saruman creavano gli Uruk-hai. E lo stesso Perdente, incrocio tra il Mordiroccia e il Grande Nulla del Regno di Fantàsia (o forse, meglio, Colui Che Non Deve Essere Nominato).
E il “Che vedo, che vedo? Un di Troppo diverso da tutti...” del Perdente, che mi ricorda l’ “Ucci ucci, sento odor di cristianucci” dell’Orco di Pollicino, ma anche delle frottole sulla morte di Simonino da Trento.
E quando Bussola, sempre a proposito del Perdente, dice: “Dopo che s’è succhiato la parte Vivificata di una Cosa”, come non riandare col pensiero ai Dementors!
E quando Speranza (un incrocio tra la Fanny di Silente e l’Aquila che salva Gandalf) racconta della sua padrona, ora in prigione, e dice: “...faceva qualcosa di buono: protestava contro un uomo molto simile a Potere. Lui era furioso e così l’ha rinchiusa”, non puoi non pensare a tutti i perseguitati nel mondo per delitti di opinione; il primo tra tanti, Nelson Mandela.
E ancora, le gondole che trasporteranno le Cose Perdute nel cuore della Città dei rimpianti, assomigliano alle barche che, attraversando il Lago Nero, accompagneranno ad Hogwarts gli studenti del primo anno.
Insomma, credo di essermi perso ancora mille riferimenti (Alice e il suo Paese delle Meraviglie, e via discorrnedo...) ma sicuramente non ho smarrito il piacere, ancora una volta, di perdermi nel sogno che J.K. mi ha regalato.
Che sia per tutti, ma proprio tutti in tutto il mondo, un Nuovo Anno di serenità e armonia.
Vostro
Albus Eugene Percival Wulfric Brian Silente
December 20, 2022
My daughter and I read this together this year, just in time for Christmas.
Her review:
This was a very heartfelt story that got me hard. I was reminded of my own Big Bear, with its matted hair and old scents, and I freaked out when I thought about losing him. I freaked out a lot.
I was also thinking how necessary it is not to fight with your sister or your friends.
I loved the story and happy it ended the way it did.
My review:
I was extremely anxious as we read it because I knew this would be a massive trigger warning for my girl who absolutely adores her Big Bear. Imagination is a bitch.
I was brought to tears several times and I think it worked really well on multiple levels. I thought of Cat Valente's YA a bit as I was reading this, and it's all positive. :)
Her review:
This was a very heartfelt story that got me hard. I was reminded of my own Big Bear, with its matted hair and old scents, and I freaked out when I thought about losing him. I freaked out a lot.
I was also thinking how necessary it is not to fight with your sister or your friends.
I loved the story and happy it ended the way it did.
My review:
I was extremely anxious as we read it because I knew this would be a massive trigger warning for my girl who absolutely adores her Big Bear. Imagination is a bitch.
I was brought to tears several times and I think it worked really well on multiple levels. I thought of Cat Valente's YA a bit as I was reading this, and it's all positive. :)
October 13, 2021
I am excited about it.
J. K. Rowling is the best
And haters stay away
J. K. Rowling is the best
And haters stay away
October 26, 2021
Everyone loves “Harry Potter”, but author J.K. Rowling continues to struggle writing children’s fiction in the Boy Who Lived’s giant lightening bolt shaped shadow. Rowling claimed she pitched “The Christmas Pig” to publishers after a few glasses of wine; you’ll need several drinks to get through this read.
The story follows a boy obsessed with a stuffed pig. When his bully step sister tosses his beloved plush out the window, the kid throws a fit so ferocious, that he passes out and wakes up in a purgatory of lost possessions. A combination of “The Brave Little Toaster” and Rankin-Bass Xmas classics, “The Christmas Pig” follows the boy on a quest to retrieve his tossed pal, pursued by the metaphorical antagonist The Loser, who eats his victims and uses their bodies to contribute to his own anatomy. Think a robotic Buffalo Bill. Very, very holiday friendly.
The book seems like Rowling is making up as she goes, using boneheaded names like Compass, Inhaler, and Scissors to describe animated objects that resemble their namesake. She also incorporates her political agenda, criticizing Brexit, Trump, and jailed protestors in a very shoehorned manner.
I’m not exactly sure who this book is supposed to be for. It’s too stupid for adults and a tad too violent for youngsters. At one point, the Christmas Pig threatens to kill Inhaler, and the boy attempts to punch his step sister right in the face.
Instead of a holiday favorite, expect “The Christmas Pig” to be a Yuletide punchline after several rounds of spiked eggnog this winter.
The story follows a boy obsessed with a stuffed pig. When his bully step sister tosses his beloved plush out the window, the kid throws a fit so ferocious, that he passes out and wakes up in a purgatory of lost possessions. A combination of “The Brave Little Toaster” and Rankin-Bass Xmas classics, “The Christmas Pig” follows the boy on a quest to retrieve his tossed pal, pursued by the metaphorical antagonist The Loser, who eats his victims and uses their bodies to contribute to his own anatomy. Think a robotic Buffalo Bill. Very, very holiday friendly.
The book seems like Rowling is making up as she goes, using boneheaded names like Compass, Inhaler, and Scissors to describe animated objects that resemble their namesake. She also incorporates her political agenda, criticizing Brexit, Trump, and jailed protestors in a very shoehorned manner.
I’m not exactly sure who this book is supposed to be for. It’s too stupid for adults and a tad too violent for youngsters. At one point, the Christmas Pig threatens to kill Inhaler, and the boy attempts to punch his step sister right in the face.
Instead of a holiday favorite, expect “The Christmas Pig” to be a Yuletide punchline after several rounds of spiked eggnog this winter.
December 24, 2022
A super sweet and heartwarming story that will stay with me long after Christmas and one I will definitely read to my future children. ❤️❤️
November 8, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. I just couldn't get into it. I loved the illustrations which were basically the only reason I read the whole thing. The illustrations were spot on and added depth to the story. The story was lacking somewhere, I really didn't care what happened to them. There was plenty of adventure and the characters were cute but I guess they weren't fleshed out enough for me.
December 13, 2023
this was marvelous. Everything J.K. Rowling writes is a novelty in its own way, and this is one of the best, sweetest, most heartfelt children’s book I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommended for all ages 💞
₊⋆❆ reread ❆⋆₊ 12/12/23
perfect reread for the christmas season! I adore this book <3
₊⋆❆ reread ❆⋆₊ 12/12/23
perfect reread for the christmas season! I adore this book <3
January 30, 2022
This is J.K. Rowling, after all, so I shouldn’t be so surprised. I read the Harry Potter books in my 40s and 50s, and I adored them all. But, The Christmas Pig is clearly aimed at a younger set, so my expectations were lower. They shouldn’t have been!
Jack Jones’ angry new stepsister tosses out Jack’s most beloved toy, Dur Pig, shortened to DP right before Christmas. To get him back, Jack — and an identical stuffed toy pig that was intended as DP’s replacement — brave the Land of the Lost. I won’t spoil the story by revealing much more, but it brought me to tears more than once, even though I’m 63. (OK, OK, I’m sentimental, and cry easily.) Don’t make the same mistake that I did; The Christmas Pig is a gem, one I read in a day.
Jack Jones’ angry new stepsister tosses out Jack’s most beloved toy, Dur Pig, shortened to DP right before Christmas. To get him back, Jack — and an identical stuffed toy pig that was intended as DP’s replacement — brave the Land of the Lost. I won’t spoil the story by revealing much more, but it brought me to tears more than once, even though I’m 63. (OK, OK, I’m sentimental, and cry easily.) Don’t make the same mistake that I did; The Christmas Pig is a gem, one I read in a day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,683 reviews