School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-6-Parents who hire Nanny Piggins should be aware that she loves trashy novels and cake, and her idea of fun is to drop things off the roof and watch them crash. Kids who like subversive humor will adore her. Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan (2013) is a sequel, with more to come. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The premise of Spratt's uninhibited debut-that a work-obsessed widower is so desperate for a nanny for his three children that he hires a former flying circus pig-is only the first of the absurdities in this collection of adventures. Sugar- obsessed Nanny Piggins, who considers school a cruel punishment, is a child's fantasy of the ideal caregiver: "She let them keep ferrets in their bedrooms, drive their father's ride-on lawnmower to the store, and eat nothing but sweets for dinner, all the time." She outwits headmasters, burglars, and circus ringmasters, and leads the children on one ridiculous escapade after another: a trip to the beach leads to being stranded at sea and rescued by Korean sailors. The sassy, tongue-in-cheek voice is rampant with asides to readers, usually variations on "which is only the truth" or "you have to understand," which can become tiresome. The plots and conflicts are thin, but readers looking for nonstop giggles and cheerful political incorrectness will devour this as quickly as Nanny Piggins can consume a chocolate cake. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Mr. Green has no desire to take care of his children or to pay very much for a nanny. When a former circus pig asks for the job, he grudgingly employs her. Nanny Piggins then takes the kids on a string of entertaining adventures. Funny, odd, and rambunctious, this story will entertain many readers. Detailed black-and-white illustrations humorously convey the characters' spirit. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Mary Poppins, move over or get shoved out of the way. Nanny Piggins has arrived. Most recently employed at the circus as the pig shot out of a cannon, she assumes the title Nanny when she spies a Help Wanted sign on the lawn of the Green family. Mrs. Green is dead, and Mr. Green is so tightfisted he refuses to pay a human nanny. So when a pig applies . . . . But as the three Green children soon realize, Nanny Piggins is a jewel. Extraordinarily clever, she knows when to morph that quality into deviousness, which certainly becomes necessary when dealing with the dull, pompous Mr. Green. The children Derrick, Samantha, and Michael promptly fall in love with Nanny Piggins because she lets them eat sweets all day and comes up with the most marvelous ideas, like taking a boat to China to get Chinese takeout. Even when things don't exactly work out as planned (and they rarely do), the high jinks and hilarity make them excellent adventures. Stuffing adjectives into this review is as easy as watching Nanny Piggins stuff pies into her mouth. This is smart, sly, funny, and marvelously illustrated with drawings that capture Nanny's sheer pigginess. Readers may worry that this first novel is so full of stories about Nanny Piggins there won't be enough left for sequels. Never fear. The last line of the book predicts Nanny will be stirring up more adventures, possibly even before breakfast.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
