Princely, porky, perky and immensely funny, we meet two kindred souls of such varying ilk, they can't help but draw together like opposite magnetic poles.
When a pig with a penchant for buns becomes lured by the treats outside the Palace kitchens, he is soon also lured inside to see if there is more. Spotted by the cook, he tears up the royal staircase and takes solace in the Prince's bedroom, from where a case of seriously funny mistaken identity takes hold.
I don't want to spoil the storyline by revealing too much more, but needless to say, this is as entertaining a book as it is visually divine. With his trademark texturing and superbly refined linework and colour palette, Roberts brings calamity, charm and joy to Bently's wonderful text.
The text is on the plentiful side but it works so well here, even for the very young, due to its well-crafted and rhythmic rhyme. It also works well in that the text is action-filled and funny, which is where I feel rhyming prose works in picture books the very best.
What I also love about Bently's work is his Pixar ability to reach and tickle the funny bone of all ages--humour for the tots, humour for the tweens, humour for the grown-ups--all delivered on different levels.
With pages balanced between full scene and royally-framed vignettes, the delight in this book is as whimsical and touchable as the Prince's (and the pig's) nest of red curling hair.
A must.
Title: The Prince and the Porker
Author: Peter Bently
Illustrator: David Roberts
Publisher: Andersen Press, $32.99
Publication Date: 3 September 2015
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9781783441082
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book