Hogwash by Arthur Geisert. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. ISBN 978-0-618-77332-9
Summary: Geisert, author of such wordless classics as Ice and Nursery Crimes offers another timeless tale about children getting dirty, and their mothers getting them clean again. In a neat and tidy settlement of pigs, piglets emerge from their homes in the morning and head off to play. They arrive at a wallowing pool and, with the addition of water from the pump and extra dirt gleaned from the banks of the pool, proceed to get filthy.
Next up is an abandoned paint factory, where the piglets jubilantly tip over vats of primary colored paint and end up looking like muddy rainbows. When the mama pigs arrive to round up their children, they take the piglet's state of uncleanliness in stride because they have an amazing mechanical device for situations such as this.
Children with an interest in the way things work will be enthralled by Giesert's detailed depiction of the hogwashing machine. As the piglets travel through the device on their journey to cleanliness, each step of the process is illustrated in such an intricately elaborate manner that readers can actually see how such a contraption would operate.
Critical Evaluation: Geisert's wordless picture books allow his images to take center stage. Without text to describe the illustrated scene or direct the reader's attention to particular aspects of each spread, each child, no matter their age or developmental level, will have an opportunity to view the imagery from their own unique perspective.
As Geisert's focus shifts between long-distance and extremely close-up viewpoints, he is able to place his characters within a larger landscape setting while simultaneously providing a fine level of detail that expands on the personalities of the piglets, and on the inner workings of the mechanical devices.
For any child who loves to get dirty, or who wonders how things work, Hogwash will provide them with a fascinating account of a day in the lives of a group of piglets. This is a story that children can enjoy again and again, as new details can be discovered with each reading. It would also be an inspiring starting point for a school unit on inventions or very basic principles of physics.
Age or Interest Level: Pre-K to Grade 3
Awards: ---
Why Included? Geisert's many stories about pigs have long been a favorite of mine. His style of etching is visually appealing, and sharing a wordless book with a child can open up a world of conversation, even more so than with a book which includes narrative text.