The Adventures of a South Pole Pig
Written by Chris Kurtz
Illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt
Flora the pig is descended from a long and reputable line of porcine adventurers/philosophers. Just goes to show that dogs, smart and loyal as they are, are not the only non-human species with human-like thoughts and desires.
Flora, like Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, feels that there is more to life than searching for food. When Luna the cat comes by Flora is awestruck. Here is a creature who has seen the world beyond the confines of the pen. Flora badgers her for stories, and translates the stories into games she teaches her siblings.
Circumstances conspire to set Flora off on a grand adventure. The title reveals where Flora and her ‘team’ are headed — the South Pole! This book is a wonderful read aloud, a chapter at a time. It can lead to discussions about the South Pole and life in that remote frozen land, and talks about the adventures and misadventures of the famous explorers who journeyed to the Antarctic.
Flora is equal parts adventurer and philosopher. “Why aren’t farm pigs in control of their lives?” she asks Luna, her friend and mentor-cat. She is willing to learn, to ask questions. “Is that some kind of special blanket?” she asks, when she sees the men spread a square of canvas on the snowfield.
Things become as bad as they possibly can. Intrepid Flora rounds up her ‘team’- Sophia the cat, who had explained that cats are solitary creatures and do not work in teams; Oscar the lead sled dog; and Aleric the human, to effect an incredible rescue. “The Captain’s Gratitude” says the lettering on the special crate that the captain has ordered for her. The last illustration shows Flora facing the wind — “and all her adventures to come.”
Jennifer Black Reinhardt’s black and white line drawings add just the right note of whimsy. A great addition to any reading list.
Additional Resources:
Author Bio: http://www.chriskurtzauthor.com/About/index.html
Illustrator Bio: http://www.jbreinhardt.com/biography/
Title: The Adventures of a South Pole Pig- Author: Chris Kurtz
- Illustrator: Jennifer Black Reinhardt
- Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books
- Reviewer: Anjali Amit
- Hardback: 278 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-547-63455-5
- Genre: Fiction/Novels
- Lexile Score: 760
