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Princess Pigsty Hardcover – Picture Book, April 1, 2007

by Cornelia Funke (Author), Chantal Wright (Translator)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
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The fourth picture book by literary sensation Funke and celebrated illustrator Meyer; a modern-day, girl-powered, fairy-tale-in-reverse!

One morning Princess Isabella throws her crown out the window--it's BORING being a princess, she declares. When she steadfastly refuses to fetch her crown from the fishpond, her father, the king, puts his royal foot down. "Off to the pigsty with you!" he commands--and Isabella couldn't be happier about her punishment! Because while plain old princesses spend all their time primping and smiling and stifling yawns--yuckety-yuk!-- REAL girls get to peel onions, pick blackberries, and sometimes even sleep outside with the pigs.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    AD570L
  6. Dimensions
    10.5 x 0.25 x 8.5 inches
  7. Publisher
    Chicken House
  8. Publication date
    April 1, 2007
  9. ISBN-10
    043988554X
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0439885546
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Princess Isabella is tired of being pampered, and of sitting around being pretty. She wants to climb trees, wear pants, and make her own sandwiches. She wants to have fun. One morning, after she throws her crown in the fishpond and refuses to be a royal anymore, her father orders her to work in the kitchens for punishment. For three days she is happy doing chores, and when the king sends for her, she refuses to retrieve her regal headdress. This time he sends her to the pigsty. Isabella likes this work even better—the pigs are smart and interesting. When her father sends for her again, she not only refuses to get her crown, but also to put on a dress or comb her hair. That evening the king tells his daughter that she may do what makes her happy as long as she returns to the castle because he misses her. This sweet and amusing tale makes use of bold type that resembles handwriting to emphasize important words such as "boring," "pinched," "stink," and "pigsty." The comical watercolor illustrations are replete with royal reds, golds, and purples. They clearly depict the expressions of the characters in an entertaining and refreshing way. Pair this one with Robert Munsch's The Paper Bag Princess (Annick, 1992) for a storytime about independent-minded royals.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Here's a bracing alternative to sticky-sweet princess tales from the creators of two previous picture books starring powerful girls (The Princess Knight, 2004, and Pirate Girl, 2005). Sick of her pampered existence, Princess Isabella tosses aside her tiara, declaring, "I want to get dirty!" The outraged king prescribes tours of duty in the kitchens and pigsty, but Isabella merely revels in the good, honest work and good, honest mess--until her father cajoles her from the pigsty with tender words of respect and love. Not every reader will be convinced by Isabella's embrace of toil over the palace's luxurious amenities, complete with cushion-toting servants "so that the royal behinds always had something soft to sit on." But most kids will relate to her spirit of rebellion, especially as embodied in Meyer's ebullient watercolors of the beaming, disheveled girl darting about in a pair of sturdy trousers. Wright's translation of Funke's German text into idiomatic English ("Yuckety yuck") will be a treat to read aloud, despite the curious emphasis of random words in boldfaced type. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicken House; USA Edn. edition (April 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 043988554X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0439885546
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD570L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.5 x 0.25 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 24 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Cornelia Funke

    Cornelia Funke

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    Cornelia Funke is one of today’s most beloved writers of magical stories for children. She is the author of The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider, Inkheart, Inkspell, the Ghosthunters series, When Santa Fell to Earth, and Igraine the Brave. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, California, in a house full of books.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Chantal Wright

    Chantal Wright

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Chantal Wright was born in Manchester, England. She is a literary translator working from German and French into English. She has twice been shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation and in 2012 her translation of Tzveta Sofronieva's volume of poetry A Hand Full of Water was awarded the inaugural Cliff Becker Book Prize in Translation. She is Associate Professor at the University of Warwick.

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
24 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

EAlves
5.0 out of 5 stars A "Princess book" with a message I can get behind!
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2011
Verified Purchase
Our almost 4 year old daughter has become obsessed with princesses over the course of the past year; unfortunately, everywhere we go, we are inundated with the soul-sucking Disney princesses. Needless to say, she wants every Disney princess book she sees, but I just cannot bring myself to spend money on products based on princesses who teach girls to aspire to be made-up, manicured, skinny zombies with no real personalities.
Thankfully, Cornelia Funke has written this book as well as The Princess Knight. They both teach kids that princesses can be cool, independent girls who refuse to live their lives on anyone else's terms but their own.
Funke's princesses are wonderful antidotes to the cloying, awful Disney princesses, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
4 people found this helpful
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Happy Camper
5.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2021
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I liked the storyline of being yourself
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Jennifer Vanover
1.0 out of 5 stars Demanding Princess Gets Her Way and Doesn't Learn From It.
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2013
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Instead of learning to be obedient, we learn that Mom and Dad were just wrong to begin with. They should listen to demanding princesses who know what they like, don't like, want to do, and don't want to do. When I read the description and the great reviews, I really anticipated that the defiant one would learn a lesson, however she does not. This is definitely the WRONG message to send to kids these days.
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ChristinaM33
5.0 out of 5 stars Anti-Princess
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
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I bought this book for my niece who has fallen for the Princess Industrial Complex hook, line and sinker. She loves this book and I'm hopeful that the message in this book will penetrate deeper than the Disney version.
One person found this helpful
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Great product
4.0 out of 5 stars A Teacher's Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2008
This is a fantastic piece of modern fantasy which chronicles the relationship between a young, non-conformist princess and her family. In the story, little Isabella decides good manners, pretty dresses, and being clean are all quite boring. He father (the king) decides to discipline her by sending her first to the kitchen to cook then to the pigsty to work...and Isabella loves her new duties at the castle! Her father finally accepts that Isabella desires a different way of life.

This book holds a special place in my heart because I have a non-conformist, 5-year-old Isabella in my home as well. The story is one of love and acceptance within a healthy family. The parents want only the best for little Isabella...and I can certainly relate to that...but eventually decide that she has her own goals and they must honor her desires to a point. A real-life lesson rolled into a fun fairytale package.

In the classroom, I would read this book alongside other tales involving royalty and castles then compare the tone and style of this book with the others. What elements are the same? How are they different? Children might also rewrite the story starring themselves as the main character. How would they have behaved differently? Another extension might be to place Princess Isabella in a modern day setting. How would the story change?
2 people found this helpful
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S. Farley
5.0 out of 5 stars granddaughters favorite
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2013
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That stubborn streak that some kids have is brought home is in this story. Its funny and cute and has a great tail...
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Kitster
3.0 out of 5 stars My daughter loves it, but I wish we hadn't gotten it
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2007
We both love "The Princess Knight", so I thought this one would be great too. I love that the princess wants to climb trees, and pick her own nose, and tend to the pigs and sleep in the pigsty. Instead of standing around with her hair curled looking pretty all day. But the princess bites and kicks and scratches the men trying to pull her out from under the bed. The King (her father) is continually screaming in "rage", tearing his crown and wig from his head, etc. Some of the pictures of him look pretty terrifying to me. In the end he does get the crown from the fishpond for her, and says he misses her and wants her to come back to the house. But this doesn't make up for the horrendous behavior on both of their parts before hand, in my opinion. Every family has their own dynamics, but ours is not a screaming and yelling family. And yet, as I said, my daughter does love it anyway, and wants to read it most nights. "The Princess Knight" princess is strong, independent, and defiant too, but the only time her and her dad argue is when she's 16 and it's a much calmer argument in comparison to the ones throughout this book.
4 people found this helpful
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Jenna Tanguay
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2016
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Perfect for the parent who hates the traditional princess tale!
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Top reviews from other countries

sep
5.0 out of 5 stars great antidote to boring pink-princesses!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2014
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I got this for my 3 year old daughter. Perhaps a little difficult but she loved it (as did I!) great feisty little princess!
One person found this helpful
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J.Boon
4.0 out of 5 stars having to look pretty and have everything done for her
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2015
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The princess in question is sick of being a princess, having to look pretty and have everything done for her. She throws her crown away and strikes out from her other two sisters. As a consequence, she is punished by her father and sent to work in the pigsty. The king doesn't imagine for one moment that his daughter will enjoy the freedom and work. As in most fractured fairytales, all ends happily with some compromise on both sides.
My six-year-old son thoroughly enjoyed this book.
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Good story.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
Ordered the story. Received a DVD about zombies. After complaining they did send me the book. Kids seemed to enjoy the story though (princess pigsty not zombie)
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