posted on 25 Mar 2016

Hurray For Peregrine Pig by Tatjana Hauptmann

What is it about anthropomorphic pigs? There's something fundamentally delightful about the way the porcine can be constructed as virtually human - somehow seeing pigs in clothes doesn't outrage us despite the fact that comparisons can be odious. Unlike almost any other animal pigs have carved out a children's book identity that is immediately endearing  - something that even survived the potentially sinister adult version Orwell gave us  in Animal Farm. Fortunately, Peregrine Pig is most certainly on the cuddly and endearing end of the spectrum and would be the most unlikely revolutionary.

This is a large format children's book with no words at all - so the story has to be very simple and carried entirely by the quality of the illustrations. Peregrine is a traveller and explorer who returns to the bosom of his family to treat them to the story of his round the world trip. Most of the 'action' is in fact the family viewing Peregrine's home movies, which is potentially quite a static set-up and so something has to lift the book out of the ordinary - and it's Hauptmann's superb illustrations that do it.

Tatjana Hauptmann is a German artist who has illustrated a range of classics, including Huckleberry Finn, A Christmas Carol and Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis but in the Peregrine Pig books she has a big canvas to work with and she not produces fantastic characterisation but also employs a technique that produces a stunning 3D effect. She does this by giving her full page illustrations overlays which have been die-cut and which give each page another dimension.

Cunningly, for example, the home movie screen carries the main image and the 'audience' sitting in the living room are superimposed over this in a die-cut page that swings out slightly to give the 3D effect. It works with panache. Of course, the problem is that the book was made for children and they are less than careful or sentimental about their books and often treat them roughly - so finding copies in great condition is difficult. If you can locate one it's likely to cost you anything from £12 - £50 depending on condition. Expensive but I promise you it's worth it!

Terry Potter

March 2016