Pig Tales

About the Book

Pig Tales is the true story of my current life with Oink and Porkchop, my two pet pigs. Although I understand that talking animals are no longer chic, these tales are narrated by Porkchop. He is the younger and smaller of the two pigs, but more precocious. Oink is the anti-hero. I am their mom, an old divorcee living in isolation with two parrots, two pigs and an old dog. The two pigs feel sorry for Mom and are always trying to improve her circumstances.

I chose Porkchop to be the narrator of these tales because he is a good story teller…always witty, informative and cocky. Parents and teachers will enjoy sharing these humorous stories with young readers, as this conceited little pig is fun to mimic. Also, Pig Tales is packed with true facts about these intelligent, affectionate and mischievous creatures. Although targeting young challenged readers in the middle grades, all ages will relish following these tales as they realize that, unlike the other well known fictional pigs, Porkchop and Oink are real.

What follows is an example episode:

My favorite game is hiding things which I find on the floor, especially Mom’s clothes. Pants, bras, socks, jeans, night gowns--anything I can drag with my snout or rake with my hooves ends up in her closet in my nest. After all, the bigger the nest, the better I sleep. If Mom is missing something, she knows where to look, which always makes her smile. However, one day this ritual got slightly out of hand. Somehow, I managed to get all tangled up in one of her bright red bikini tops, designed for plus-sized ladies! Out I ran, with this outrageous costume wrapped over my head and around my legs. I stumbled around in circles, squealing in panic. Mon laughed as she grabbed the camera.

Porkchop’s tales include dozens of similar antics, as well as range wars with the neighbors, spooky unsolved mysteries, and fun camping adventures. Can you imagine a pig walking on a leash in a campground? Porkchop is elated with his accomplishments. His favorite quote is “pigs rule!”

Each tale is followed by pages from Porkchop’s photo album. These entertaining pictures capture real events as they unfold in the tales, none of which were staged or posed. Readers will be delighted by these comical album pages.

About the Author

Joy Johns was born, raised and educated in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her Masters Degree in Language Arts from Washington University in 1965, and became a middle school English Teacher.. After 35 years of marriage, she was traded in on a newer model. After the divorce, she moved down to North Florida to be close to her daughter and her family. She is now a retired teacher, but still enjoys substitute teaching part time, especially in elementary grades. Her goal as an author is to create books and stories that will captivate readers with humor and unique topics. Some of her other hobbies are biking, camping, gardening and pets.