Garth Pig and the Icecream Lady

The Pig Family

by Mary Rayner

Garth Pig is trapped in Lupino's Icecream truck by an icecream lady who is no lady, and is rescued by his nine brothers and sisters

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1977

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is probably my favourite book about the Pig family. It's actually as old as I am! As such, it's a little bit dated in places (and slightly politically incorrect in others). But the basic premise is still sound, and it's a fun story in which the Pig siblings must once again outwit the wily wolf.

It's baffling that nobody clues in about the wolf until it's too late. There are so many clues! She's hairy, for one thing. She drives a Volfswagon truck. Her business is called Lupino's Icecreams. Hello?! Wolf!

But she's not the sharpest wolf, either, and the Pig siblings (usually led by Sorrel, the eldest) are able to come out on top.

This book clearly shows that it's not a good idea to get into a stranger's van, and kids will probably spot the danger even before Garth steps all the way inside. I also like the fact that the piglets still pay for their ice cream; just because the person selling it is a homicidal maniac doesn't mean it's okay to be a thief.

One day, I hope I can find the rest of the books about these pigs and read them, too. For now, though, I've exhausted Open Library's collection. It's been a fun day of reading and reminiscing with this porcine family unit!

Quotable moment:

"Quick," said William. "Stand in a circle everyone," and he began to count round:

Ham, bacon, pork chop,
Out you must hop.



Mrs. Pig held up her trotters in horror and turned away her eyes. "Goodness me, where do they pick up such words? I am sure they have never heard them in this house."

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a good little book that cautions talking to strangers and trusting strangers.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the very young, as there is a lot of text, but a great story for preschoolers. Mother Pig is scrubbing the kitchen floor while her ten piglets play outside. The piglets hear the bell of the ice cream truck and ask Mother for money for ice cream. Mother tells them that one of them may go to the truck. And here's a part that I loved. Instead of "eenie, meanie, meinie, mo," the piglets choose the one to go to the truck by reciting, "Ham, bacon, porkchop, Out you must hop." Mrs. Pig wonders, "Goodness me, where do they pick up such words? I am sure they have never heard them in this house." Garth Pig is chosen to go to the truck where he asks for Nine Whooshes and... Before he can finish, the ice cream lady (a wolf) invites him into the truck to see what's in the freezer...and locks Garth inside and speeds away. It's piglets to the rescue in an amazing chase scene. A really good story about not accepting rides with strangers. The watercolor illustrations are engaging. Ever see a bicycle built for ten (pigs)?

[Robert Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favourite book as a child, Garth Pig and the Ice Cream Lady is the story of Garth Pig, one of many Pig children who, after playing a game of Cowboys and Indians, is sent to buy ice cream for all of the family - and is kidnapped by a wily wolf, who's impersonating the Ice Cream Lady! Oh, what will happen next?

I only hope I can find a copy of this book if and when I have kids of my own!

[Betsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that I loved as a kid and that my 4.8 year old finds good (and a bit scary). A somewhat gentle introduction to why you don't get into cars (or ice cream trucks) with people you don't know.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat dull story of a pig going to get ice cream treats for his many siblings, but the ice cream lady turns out to be a wolf.

Dull illustrations to go with.

[Capn]

Books for Keeps, 3 July 1980:

Pig and the Ice
Cream Lady
Mary Rayner, Piccolo
Picture Books,
0330 25942 3, 75p
The cunning baby-sitter from
Mr and Mrs Pig's Evening Out
makes another appearance,
this time hi the guise of
Madame Lupino, an ice cream
lady wearing sunglasses, straw
hat and driving a pink and
brown Volfswagon. She entices
Garth Pig into the van and
there follows a hilarious chase
through hilly country with the
nine remaining piglets
frantically pedalling their
nine-seater bicycle'- which
eventually proves to be
Madame Lupine's undoing.
'Again' is the cry every time I
read this story to a group of
infants, and I know a good
many who will be thrilled at
being able to own paperback
copies of one of their
favourites.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Quick,” said William. “Stand in a circle everyone,” and he began to count round:
Ham, bacon, pork chop,
Out you must hop!

Mrs. Pig held up her trotters in horror and turned away her eyes. “Goodness me, where do they pick up such words? I am sure they have never heard them in this house!”

…

Meanwhile inside the pink-and-brown Volfswagon ice cream truck, Madam Lupino sings:

Fried or boiled, baked or roast,
Or minced with mushey-rooms on toast?

…

How to warn children against gluttony, kidnapping, and what happens to children who play at cowboys and Indians with guns and bows and arrows, in one fell WHOOSH

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever spin on the traditional three little pigs and the big bad wolf. Warns of stranger danger but with a light-hearted vibe.

[Cassandra Gelvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably better than bacon-flavored ice cream.

There's 10 pig children in a family, and they want to get ice cream, so they send one of the kids to go get ice cream from the truck. The ice cream lady is actually a wolf, and she invites him inside the van to go look at the freezer, and then drives off with him in there. His siblings realize this and take off after him in a 10-seater bicycle, and he sees them coming. She opens the door and he pushes past her and escapes and she ends up on the bicycle and falls in the water and they get the floor dirty in their house.

Not terribly interesting. It's just kind of a standard fairy tale type of story. The only reason to have the brothers and sisters coming to the rescue was to have the scene with the wolf riding the out of control ten-seater bicycle. I'm not that impressed with the art.

For more children's book reviews, check my website at http://www.drttmk.com.

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older title (30 years in fact), but I read it today for the first time. Garth Pig has nine brothers and sisters. When they hear the ice cream truck, only one is allowed to go and get the ice cream. The ice cream truck is a Volfswagon from Lupino's Icecreams, but Garth is so busy counting out his pennies, he doesn't notice the strange-looking lady driving the truck. Soon Garth is locked inside and on his way to become a wolf's dinner! Will his siblings figure out where he has gone in time to save him?

I adore Mr. and Mrs. Pig's Evening Out by Mary Rayner and had not realized she had a whole series about the Pig family. Now I'm going to go back and find them all. They have a lovely British sense of humor and are illustrated with expressive watercolors.

[Fjóla · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are truly strange, but I could probably develop a liking for them. This one, while still somewhat disturbing, in particular in Mrs. Pig being so stoic about one of her youngest piglets running off to get ice cream all by himself (but then, what do you do when you have ten children at your charge), it's already slightly better than the horrendous Mr and Mrs Pig's Evening Out. If you're waiting to have the conversation about not-trusting-strangers with your child, this might be an opportunity to open that one up. In fact, you will kind of need to ...

[Emily Von pfahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the Garth Pig stories. I love how Garth is not a helpless individual and saves himself with his quick thinking, which I find to be just as important as the underlying message. It is always tricky to deal with the subject of child abduction, especially since being nabbed off the street by a stranger isn't as common as people think. (Children are more likely to be taken/hurt by someone they know and trust). However, we still need to teach children to be aware and not blindly trusting of people, especially adults they don't know. By having the characters be animals it makes the situation less intense/disturbing since naturally wolves want to eat pigs.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of my favorite books growing up. And the real reason I've never bought anything from the ice cream truck. Garth Pig learns to be cautious the hard way, when the ice cream lady turns out to be a wolf, intent on eating him. Bummer for Garth, but a pure joy for readers, who get to see, among other things, pigs riding a tandem bike and some really delicious looking ice cream.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it a couple times at Aunt D'Anna's house when I was really little (I think it was a library book). Have never forgotten the refrain "Ham, bacon, pork chop, out you must hop"

[Mars R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the best book of my childhood!

[Sarah Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fully traumatised by this book as a child. Gave me nightmares. Never trusted a wolf since. 25 years later I still think about it.