Sky Pig

*WINNER* of the 2017 Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration

Written by Jan.L Coates

Illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo

Published by Pajama Press

First Jack and Ollie try the leafy branches. Then a giant kite. Idea after idea, invention after invention, boy and pig drag them all to the top of the highest hill. Then Ollie runs as hard as ever a pig could run, until his trotters lift from the ground and—Crash!
In Sky Pig, Jan Coates weaves a story of sweetness and whimsy, ingenuity and empathy. Plasticine artist Suzanne Del Rizzo brings dimension and energy to the tale of a pig who wants—against all popular truisms—to fly. He may never reach the sky on homemade clockwork wings, but Ollie still dreams as hard as ever a pig can dream. And Jack, a true friend, realizes that just because a pig can’t fly in the ways they have tried doesn’t mean he can never soar. An uplifting picture book for anyone who has tried and tried again.

 

Available on Amazon 

 

Awards and recognition:

*listed on Most Anticipated: Our Spring 2016 Children’s Book review, 49th Shelf 

*listed in Spring Preview 2016: Books for Young People, Quill and Quire

*Some of the Best Picture Books of 2016 Thus Far (Mid-Year Summary)-School Library Journal

 

Reviews:

Sky Pig is an inspirational story of two friends who have the courage to dream big and the persistence to see it through…Del Rizzo has created a series of tiny masterpieces in illustrating this book. (CM Magazine 2016-04-08)

“All Ollie the pig wants is to fly. His friend, Jack, makes him wings out of duck feathers, a parachute out of a burlap sack, and even sends him careening down a hill with a clutch of umbrellas….Illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo uses Plasticine, polymer clay, and mixed media to create her 3-D images.” (Quill & Quire 2016-05-01)

Skypig is delightful, not only for the story and its life lesson, but also for the colourful, mixed media illustrations which help provide the depth and breadth of the book… Pre-readers will be able to tell a story from the beauty and texture of the illustrations of the pig who tries to fly and his help who cheers him on. This picture book is highly recommended for whole class reading, individual reading, as well as for students learning about and experimenting with art forms and art media. (Resource Links 2016-06-15)

“Jan L. Coates’ story is uplifting like much of her previous work…and even more so with Suzanne Del Rizzo’s spectacular art… The doughy art (plasticene with polymer clay) with mixed media collage features adds the textures and colour to elevate the story even higher.” (CanLit for LittleCanadians 2016-04-12)

“Pigs and flying are the stuff of idiomatic legend, but a porker named Ollie is determined to make it happen in this offbeat story from Coates (Rocket Man) and Del Rizzo (Gerbil, Uncurled)….Del Rizzo stages the action in three-dimensional mixed-media scenes made from plasticine, clay, and other materials, capturing the imaginative energy Jack and Ollie bring to the task (one impressive set of wings features steampunk-style gears and straps)…(Publisher’s Weekly 2016-08-10)