Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i



Last updated Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Author: Gerald McDermott
Date of Publication: 2009
ISBN: 0152165908
Grade Level: Kindergarten    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: May 2010

Synopsis: Pig-Boy is hairy. Pig-Boy is dirty. Pig-Boy is hungry! And when trouble comes, he knows just what to do. (Of course, escaping trouble comes easily to a trickster, who can shape-shift his way out of sticky situations just in time!). With the tropical colors and cadences of the islands, master artist and storyteller Gerald McDermott brings irrepressible humor and energy to a Hawaiian trickster tale that's been beloved for generations.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  What kind of animal is Pig-Boy?
•  What else do you see on the cover?
•  Where do you think Pig-Boy lives?
•  Where is Hawaii? (use map in classroom to locate)
•  How does the king catch Pig-Boy?
•  What does Pig-Boy dream of?
•  What do you dream of?

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What can Pig-Boy do?
•  Did Pig-Boy really do all of these things? Did this story really happen?
•  If you could turn into something else, what would it be? VOCAB:
•  root (as noun & verb)
•  taro – edible root that grows in Hawaii
•  greedy

Craft ideas:
•  Make a lei. Cut crepe paper (I have some to donate) into squares or big flower-shapes & string together with string or yarn.
•  Draw Pig-Boy in Los Angeles or somewhere else you have been.
•  Draw a make-believe animal like a cat-fish that is part fish & part cat.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!