Pigs in the Pantry: Fun with Math and Cooking

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4. A mildly entertaining picture book with a tenuous math connection. Mrs. Pig isn't feeling well, so while she rests, Mr. Pig and the two piglets decide to cook her a meal. Of course, disaster occurs when these three strangers to the kitchen fail to follow the recipe for Firehouse Chili, which is included on a double-page spread. Mrs. Pig recovers and finds a kitchen full of chaos, mess, and firefighters (dalmatians). McGinley-Nally's cartoons are humorous and children will enjoy the details as well as the bordered endpapers filled with chili ingredients and the vegetable-decorated recipe page. It is difficult not to smile at the pigs as they dance through the colorful pages. At the end of the book, readers are asked to determine exactly what mistakes in ingredient amounts were made. Most youngsters will not look carefully at the recipe as they enjoy the slight story, so they may not realize until the last page that the point is the errors Mr. Pig made rather than the mess. On the other hand, third- or fourth-graders might have fun approaching the tale as a problem-solving activity.?Rosie Peasley, Empire Union School District, Modesto, Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 4^-7. The pig family, who previously appeared in Pigs Will Be Pigs (1994) and Pigs on a Blanket (1996), return in another picture book that purports to teach math. When Mrs. Pig takes to her bed with sniffles, her family leaps into action in the kitchen. Mr. Pig glances at a recipe, then starts throwing together the ingredients for Firehouse Chili. Soon the kitchen's a wreck, but the pot's on the boil, so Mr. Pig and the piglets go watch TV. Mrs. Pig awakens to the sound of sirens and enters the kitchen/disaster area to see firefighters arriving to investigate the smoke and eat the chili. The last page includes a cooking conversion table and a suggestion that children to go back and see where Mr. Pig went wrong adding his ingredients. The simple story is pleasing enough, and the illustrations are bright and lively, but the math activities tacked on to the end seem unlikely to interest children, particularly those young enough to find the story entertaining. For larger collections or those where the pigs already have a following. Carolyn Phelan


From Kirkus Reviews
A pig family adventure (Pigs Will Be Pigs, 1994, etc.) finds Mrs. Pig with a case of the sniffles, and her husband and piglets preparing to make her favorite dish to ``pick her right up.'' The three dig in, gathering utensils and ingredients for Firehouse Chili (the recipe is included, which cautions readers to ask an adult for help and notes that five heaping tablespoons of chili powder may require a call to the local fire department). Mr. Pig's enthusiasm replaces the careful measurement and attention to methodology so dear to chefs. By the time Mrs. Pig comes down the stairs refreshed and ready to face the lucky day the children have promised her, her kitchen is a disaster and those firefighters who sample the dish have four-alarm reactions. Readers are invited to deconstruct Mr. Pig's culinary efforts with an eye toward improving his--and their own--math skills. A lively presentation of a multifaceted math problem. (Picture book. 4-9) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
When poor Mrs. Pig gets a cold, Mr. Pig and the piglets devise a plan to get rid of her sniffles. The Pigs decide on the perfect remedy: to fix Mrs. Pig's favorite five alarm chili. Will the Pigs be able to cure Mrs. Pig with a spicy meal? Or will their measuring mistakes get them in hot water? Join the Pigs and see what trouble they can cook up in the kitchen.


Card catalog description
Mr. Pig and the piglets try to cook Mrs. Pig's favorite dish to cheer her up when she's sick. Includes a recipe for chili.


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