Celebrate Banned Book Week With Adorable Yet Questionable Pigs
October 3, 2012 § 43 Comments
Happy Banned Book Week! It’s quite the holiday for book haters, I imagine. They probably throw big parties and use book pages as napkins.
As long as we’re talking about books, allow me to introduce you to some friends of mine – a pair of piglets named Toot and Puddle. They live in a little hamlet called Woodcock Pocket. There’s a whole line of kids’ books dedicated to their adventures and friendship. Here they are:
Puddle (left, doffing cap) and Toot (right, gazing on admiringly, in Lycra unitard).
Let’s learn more about them, shall we?
I think they’re brothers. Then again, they might be… not brothers.
They don’t always wear clothes. Sometimes, when they do wear clothes, they forget pants.
They love to celebrate: birthdays, holidays, pretty weather days, you name it.
Sometimes they get the itch to travel. (Here, Toot goes to Spain and makes a new friend named Paco. I don’t know what Juan and Luis are tittering about.)
Here’s how I like to think of this book: What a happy pair. How nice that they find the joy in life in all seasons, all around the world.
But in honor of Banned Book Week, maybe we should take another perspective and try to put ourselves in the shoes of people who see books as threats. Could we find a way to be offended by this book? Let’s try:
- Toot? Puddle? So they’re named for flatulence and incontinence? And “Woodcock Pocket”? The town might as well be called Boner Village.
- What exactly is the relationship between these pigs, and what kind of agenda are they pushing? Who put these pigs up to this? Why are they being so political?
- Why don’t they always wear pants? What’s with the naked Bacchanalian forest rituals? What other kinds of nude romps are considered appropriate in Woodcock Pocket, and what message does this send young people?
- What are these pigs trying to say about Spain and the Spanish people?
- These spontaneously naked, sexually confused, racist, pagan, political activist pigs are incendiary, immoral role models. Ergo, this book is dangerous to children and readers in general.
Hmm. I didn’t enjoy trying so hard to be offended. Did you?
Luckily, Toot and Puddle haven’t been banned anywhere. Nor are they in danger of it, as far as I know. But as ridiculous as it seems, it could happen to these characters just like it happened to Max and his imaginary friends from Where the Wild Things Are or to the many other books that have been banned and challenged in libraries and schools over the years. (Hundreds of others include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and The Catcher in the Rye.) Isn’t it strange — funny, almost — what some folks decide to raise a fuss about?
If they ever did get banned, I like to think Toot and Puddle would don their little turtlenecks and get in their hot-air balloon to go find Max, Scout, Atticus, and the whole banned gang and raise some hell. They might even throw a Banned Book Week naked forest party.
So this week (and always), how about celebrating great writing and free reading by picking up whatever you damn well please and reading it? Do it for pigs, mockingbirds, and wild things everywhere.
I love these pigs. And they love each other. In what way, I’m not sure, and I don’t care. That’s their business. I’m just glad they’re happy.
All images from Toot & Puddle, Copyright 1997 by Holly Hobbie.
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In other news: Let’s extend a big welcome to all the new friends who have joined us since I Miss You When I Blink was featured on Freshly Pressed. I’m enormously honored and tickled for the opportunity to meet so many new readers. Visitors new and old, your comments on the last post were hilarious. I hope you’ll stick around for more fun and consider subscribing by email and following the Blink’s mini-posts on Facebook & Twitter. Meanwhile, you can find lots more reader favorites on the right side of the main page over there. –> Thank you!
In yet more news: Today’s post is also shared with the neat folks over at YeahWrite, a very cool site dedicated to “writers who blog and bloggers who write.” Pay them a visit if you like! They’re doing some really smart stuff.
I’ve got several “banned” books on my reading list right now. I can’t imagine the world without “To Kill a Mockingbird”. That would truly be blasphemy. Nice post – thanks!
Thanks for reading!
I always thought they were saying “band books” and I never understood the fuss about musical biographies. This has been very enlightening, and I will promptly toss all the Toot and Puddle books in the fire off my kids’ bookshelf. Thank you for alerting me to all the questionable messages in these seemingly innocent stories!
Seriously. Pigs, they are so dangerous. Think about it: Remember when Olivia the pig cut off the top of the Christmas tree? What are these piglets teaching the youth of America?? (Hee.)
“Band books” – that cracked me up.
Then you have Wilbur and Piglet to add to the banned pig list, too. Such downtrodden, melancholy souls. Some Pig, my foot. Clearly a metaphor for the downtrodden worker, being led to the slaughterhouse each morning. Or something like that.
Hey, maybe Toot, Puddle, Wilbur and Piglet could start their own band.
Loved this post!
Ha! I would totally listen to that band.
Thanks, Laura!
Let us not forget that all pigs are communists! They market themselves as “the other white meat”, but who are they kidding? They are clearly pink and not white. They probably even serve pink lemonade at all of their little piggy parties as they plot to trick the human race. Orwell was right… we are treading on very thin ice here. Listen to the cows and just “Eat Mor Chikin”!
I’ve always been perplexed by the concept of the “banned book”. I thought we had this thing called freedom of speech and to write whatever we want? I mean, how could “To Kill A Mockingbird” be thought of as a bad book for someone to read?? Fine, whatever, that it was seen as bad back when it was first written, okay, they can have that. But now?? Why is it still on the list?? If someone can create a video that insults Muslims and it gets left on YouTube, why would something as (clearly) harmless as a book like “The Catcher in The Rye” be considered so bad it should be banned? The world is a strange place…
Love Toot & Puddle! Cute little piggies. My daughter loves them too–piggies and all things potentially scatological. I’m inspired to go and party naked with all my banned books!
I’m pretty sure Holly Hobbie, the authoress, was considered the Emma Goldman of Porcine literature. But if I could make my own list of banned books I’d probably start with anything written by Glenn Beck, or a Kardashian, or any castmate from a Real Housewives franchise.
True. Some books are certainly banned from my own household.
I like to imagine Holly Hobbie just chortling and chuckling as she named the characters and their town.
Thanks for reading!
What a way to celebrate this nutty week of Banned Books. You referenced some of my all-time favorites and I love Max. Very, very clever post. Oh, and I love pigs and these two are perfect!
Toot and Puddle are favorite companions at bedtime. My son and I always giggle and cuddle as we read about their sweet adventures. I like the ambiguity of their relationship, and believe that my son benefits from seeing closeness in all its odd, lovely forms. Thank you for spreading the good word.
Exactly — “the ambiguity of their relationship” — I love it!
Wonderful post! I happen to like questionable pigs and all other animals. Although when it comes to adorable pigs, I’m kind of partial to Olivia.
Some of my favorite books are banned. Thank you for reminding me. And I gave some of them to my children. Horrors!
This was awesome, very entertaining and funny. Pigs. They’re so ridiculously cute, pants or no pants.
I need to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. Still such an incredible and important book.
Wonderful post!
I love Toot & Puddle. I read them to my niece before she could read them herself. I loved that they traveled the world. Clever idea for banned book week. I like the way you think. My first time visiting your blog. I’ll take a look around.
Thank you for visiting! Feel free to stay and hang out.
Thanks for pointing out Yeah Write! It looks like a lot of fun and I’ll definitely be peering around their site.
Do! I like their mission — to draw out good writing in the blogosphere. A worthy goal.
Yeah, I can’t get on board with banning books either. But it’s shocking some of the ones they ban! This was a fun read!
Thanks!
agree wholeheartedly with all of your points about the books being completely inoffensive and that you’d have to be pretty damned bored to find fault
But. I hate Toot and Puddle.
Ninja Mom runs a screamingly funny series called the character assassination carousel, and if you have any lingering desire to mock the perfidious piggies, it would sure be worth a giggle there!
Ha! Well, I can’t judge. There are some characters who make me insane, too.
I’ll look into that series… sounds funny. Thanks for reading!
“Hmm. I didn’t enjoy trying so hard to be offended. Did you?”
I wish everyone felt this way.
Also, great blog. Real glad to have stumbled upon it
Thank you!
Awwwww, what an adorable little gay pig couple. Donald duck didn’t wear pants either and I LOVE him. (Wait, is that what I was supposed to get out of this?!)
Aren’t they? I just love them. Thanks for reading!
Fantastic post!
I loved this! Hooray for banned books. Great educational and entertaining essay, with really good humor too. Until recently becoming unemployed (if you haven’t heard it yet, I ‘effin hate Scott Walker), I was a high school English teacher. I taught a lot of banned books. Of course, this is because two of the most taught books, Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird, have both been banned. I did have a mother call once to say her son would not be reading Harper Lee because she used the n-word. I encouraged her to read the book to understand it promotes acceptance, understanding, and brotherhood perhaps more than any other book. She didn’t want to do that, so she gave up the fight. She was a horrible enabler and her son was really lazy. I also followed our study of Fahrenheit 451 with a censorship unit where they read a challenged or banned book of choice. I got to make that curriculum, and it was fabulous. I loved that unit. But when my students did a poster campaign about censorship, my superintendent wanted to know if they needed to read 451 and censored books anymore. I don’t think he actually liked me teaching them to use their voices, so that’s part of why I was let go when they took away teacher prep to cut teachers for cost savings. Anyway … in case you didn’t know, Where’s Waldo? was once banned because you’re looking for him on a beach and there is a cartoon woman topless sunbathing. You can see cartoon side boob. Parents were in an uproar. So, your Poot and Tuddle analysis is definitely a sad possibility.
Cartoon side boob. Love it.
I am so in love with those little piggies. And your post. I love it! Great way to flip the argument.
Why, thank you!
I did not know that Where the Wild Things Are is banned. I can’t figure out what is in it that would be controversial. I kind of love banned books; they’re the interesting and through-provoking ones.
I used to read the Toot and Puddle books to my boys when they were little and I always had a hard time hiding my smirk when I read the words “Woodcock Pocket.” Thanks for bringing back some happy memories!
Loved the part about trying so hard to be offended. Because i think you DO have to try hard to be offended by most stuff people claim is offensive. And Toot and Puddle are much fun!
Hi, there. It’s my first time here on your blog, and I absolutely loved this post. I couldn’t agree more about the absurdity of what offends people.
How on earth is “Where the Wild Things Are” a banned book? Is it the line, “We’ll eat you up. We love you so”? Ooooooo, so controversial.
I had never heard of Toot and Puddle..well at least not in book form.
Thanks for sharing them with us. And who in their right mind would ban “Where the Wild Things Are?”
I didn’t realize Toot and Puddle were books, I am familiar with the show though (because my kid watched it, not me really!). I’ve never understood banning art in any of it’s forms. If you don’t like it, just stop reading, watching, looking at, etc. Tell someone why you didn’t like it if you must, but don’t decide for me that I can’t partake. Sigh.
I couldn’t believe it when I found out a few years ago books were still being banned. I thought that ended in the 60′s. Totally ridiculous. Still, there’s something about those pigs….
Not sure if you are old enough to remember but, Hollie Hobbie wrote “Toot and Puddle” after being asked to reprise her popular character inspired by her daughter, called Hollie Hobbie. She was a very popular prairie type image/series from the 70′s that I now wish I would have hung on to. Sadly her daughter died and it was too painful to bring back those images for this talented aritist/author, so Toot and Puddle were born.
Congratulations on being Pressed. I shared your Four Ways to Stop Mean People with my kids on Facebook (it’s hard to impress millenials) and I made some points. Thanks, you are hilarious.
Um, of COURSE I’m not old enough to remember that…
(I’m totally old enough to remember.)
Yet another reason to love these little piggies. Thanks so much for reading and sharing!