Piggle the Pig by Dudolf: A Book Review
This article first appeared in the NY Journal of Books on 1 April 2025.
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“When there’s lots to get done, the responsible thing is to sit down and plan ahead.
All this thinking reminded Piggle of his number one rule: being fresh and well rested is the best way to approach any job. And so he did the one and only logical thing he could do in this situation: he took a nap.”
Piggle the Pig, The Perfect Pigsty is the second in the Piggle the Pig series written and illustrated by Dudolf, a one-name creator like Prince or Madonna, whose real name is Gergely Dudás.
The story's charm lies not only in its humor but in its approachable style and message. Dudolf's whimsical illustrations and straightforward text are in the same playful vein as Mo Willems' best-selling Don't Let the Pigeon... books; and, like the Pigeon books, the Piggle the Pig books hit the mark for their intended 3-7-year-old audience.
The story follows an easily distracted and slightly lazy young pig named Piggle, who has good intentions but lacks the follow-through to accomplish his goals. Piggle tries to tidy up his home before his family arrives for a gathering; but, as is often the case, his attempts to clean up only seem to make things worse.
The text is short and sweet, and concludes by comically turning its message around on its heels, in the manner of popular children’s picture books like Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish) and The Ugly Pumpkin (Dave Horowitz).
Sometimes more like a graphic novel than a picture book (think Captain Underpants), Dudolf’s illustrations in Piggle the Pig are comprised of easy drawings composed of simple geometric lines and structures, which child and adult readers will find easy to replicate.
Young children and their caretakers will also identify with Piggle’s loving intentions, despite the fact that everything he does just makes things messier. Whether it's spreading mud on the furniture, getting paint all over himself, or trailing trash from a holey garbage bag, Piggle provides lighthearted moments for children to laugh at, while subtly teaching them about persistence and the value of self-awareness.
