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Hilda and the Runaway Baby
In her truly authentic and original voice, Daisy Hirst introduces two endearing, unforgettable new characters -- and a friendship like no other.
Hilda the pig lives in a small tin house at the foot of a hill. Life is peaceful, if a bit uneventful, and she is always exactly where she expects herself to be. At the top of the hill lives a curious baby who is never where people expect him to be, which is why he is known as the Runaway Baby. When a chance escape in his stroller brings the Runaway Baby zooming full-speed toward Hilda, their worlds collide, and the beginnings of an unlikely friendship promise to make Hilda's life a little less quiet and a lot more interesting. Kid-friendly and full of undeniable charm, Daisy Hirst's tale of two slightly solitary souls who make a surprisingly perfect pair has the look and feel of an instant, timeless classic.
Hilda the pig lives in a small tin house at the foot of a hill. Life is peaceful, if a bit uneventful, and she is always exactly where she expects herself to be. At the top of the hill lives a curious baby who is never where people expect him to be, which is why he is known as the Runaway Baby. When a chance escape in his stroller brings the Runaway Baby zooming full-speed toward Hilda, their worlds collide, and the beginnings of an unlikely friendship promise to make Hilda's life a little less quiet and a lot more interesting. Kid-friendly and full of undeniable charm, Daisy Hirst's tale of two slightly solitary souls who make a surprisingly perfect pair has the look and feel of an instant, timeless classic.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published September 12, 2017
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 19, 2019
I am a HUGE Daisy Hirst fan and this third book in her delightful canon does not disappoint. As a counter-nod of sorts to The Elephant and the Bad Baby, Hirst has her escapee baby under the guidance and support of Hilda, a pig who thought that her life was complete. Yet when a bond forms between with this adventurous little creature, she finds that life might be richer in the company of others.
Deceptively simple (as are all Hirst's stories), Hilda and the Runaway baby is explores community, inner-self and how opposites can attract. Hirst's use of 'extras' in her cast made for a lovely nod to those incidental characters in the work of Shirley Hughes and Janet Ahlberg and I thank her for it. It brought the place to life and spread a sense of warmth around the baby's shenanigans.
For a MUCH better and far richer understanding of what Daisy was trying to achieve, see her own blog here.
Deceptively simple (as are all Hirst's stories), Hilda and the Runaway baby is explores community, inner-self and how opposites can attract. Hirst's use of 'extras' in her cast made for a lovely nod to those incidental characters in the work of Shirley Hughes and Janet Ahlberg and I thank her for it. It brought the place to life and spread a sense of warmth around the baby's shenanigans.
For a MUCH better and far richer understanding of what Daisy was trying to achieve, see her own blog here.
September 14, 2017
A hit at preschool storytime today, as the kiddos enjoyed seeing where the Runaway Baby turned up - very fun and sweet.
November 18, 2017
Cute little story I'll try at storytime soon. It might be fun to try and spot that baby on some of the busier pages. Illustrations and story are simple and cute.
December 12, 2017
A chance encounter leads to an unusual friendship between two opposites. A cute, and cheerful story!
August 26, 2017
The introduction tries to compare Hilda always being where she expects to be - to the baby who is never where people expect him to be. It's a bit awkward. Also, young readers may need help right away understanding what a 'tin house' is.
Text is spaced comfortably around the illustrations. Some of the text is a tad inconsistent with the illustrations: a page near the end shows Hilda coming in the bedroom window, then the next page reads, "...mom and dad let Hilda in..." and they are in the living room. In some pictures the baby looks a bit like Harold of 'purple crayon' fame. In some pictures it is difficult to identify the detail - one man on one of rooftops looks like he is tying a garbage bag, but on another page it looks like he might be holding both ears of a stuffed rabbit. I doubt young readers will care either way.
Text is spaced comfortably around the illustrations. Some of the text is a tad inconsistent with the illustrations: a page near the end shows Hilda coming in the bedroom window, then the next page reads, "...mom and dad let Hilda in..." and they are in the living room. In some pictures the baby looks a bit like Harold of 'purple crayon' fame. In some pictures it is difficult to identify the detail - one man on one of rooftops looks like he is tying a garbage bag, but on another page it looks like he might be holding both ears of a stuffed rabbit. I doubt young readers will care either way.
December 19, 2017
Hirst, Daisy Hilda and the Runaway Baby. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2017. $16.99.
Hilda the pig is happy to be predictable. A baby who lives in the village is so unpredictable that he is known as "the runaway baby." When the two meet, they develop a friendship that bonds them despite their different species and their different approaches to certainty.
While this story is cute enough, it lacks the spark to make it stand-out in any memorable way. In short, my response to it, no matter how many times I read it, was a resounding "meh." Alas, life is too short and library budgets too small for forgettable stories.
Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
Hilda the pig is happy to be predictable. A baby who lives in the village is so unpredictable that he is known as "the runaway baby." When the two meet, they develop a friendship that bonds them despite their different species and their different approaches to certainty.
While this story is cute enough, it lacks the spark to make it stand-out in any memorable way. In short, my response to it, no matter how many times I read it, was a resounding "meh." Alas, life is too short and library budgets too small for forgettable stories.
Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
July 25, 2018
Hilda has what she thinks is a good life. She had a small tin house, a trough, a bucket and an almond tree. Her life was peaceful, but something is missing. What could it possibly be?
Fans of Bruce Higgins's Mother Bruce will enjoy this similar story about the importance of others in your lives.
Fans of Bruce Higgins's Mother Bruce will enjoy this similar story about the importance of others in your lives.
April 30, 2019
This is a very sweet book about the unlikely friendship between pig Hilda, who lives all alone at the bottom of a hill, and a baby who lives in the village at the top.
I enjoyed the drawing style and my daughter likes looking for the baby who is constantly running away from his parents. As others have said, the story and telling aren't 100% smooth and consistent, but we didn't mind too much.
I enjoyed the drawing style and my daughter likes looking for the baby who is constantly running away from his parents. As others have said, the story and telling aren't 100% smooth and consistent, but we didn't mind too much.
August 27, 2017
A quite charming odd pair in this child-friendly story.
October 1, 2017
An unlikely pair -- a runaway baby and a pig named Hilda.
January 9, 2018
A silly story that I think younger children will enjoy, especially if they like pigs and babies. I'll have to try this out with Pre-K soon
March 11, 2018
Hilda the pig befriends a baby who gets lost. She takes him home. Later the baby is crying b/c he misses Hilda, so she ends up returning to stay with the baby.
March 12, 2018
Cute, but no Alphonse.
March 28, 2019
This was so cute! The book was given to Rosalind by family friends, and I was not familiar with it. I have a feeling that this is one we're going to treasure.
March 28, 2019
A pig rescues a baby and they become friends. Preschool
February 7, 2022
An entertaining story with evocative, humorous illustrations. I particularly liked the illustrations of village life.
3 stars.
3 stars.
December 3, 2023
This is a cute book about unlikely friendships and finding your family in unexpected places for the runaway baby in a pig called Hilda.
February 26, 2024
The book is fine. The illustrations were very simple and had nice color and features to it. The story was short and sweet.
December 12, 2017
Great for pig lovers. A beautiful bond between baby and pig.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews