The Best Children’s Books About Pigs for Facts, Adventures, and Life Lessons

They can’t sweat and they can barely see but gosh, they’re intelligent! Pigs’ snouts are incredibly powerful and sensitive — they have a remarkable sense of smell. There’s so much for kids to learn about this intriguing farmyard animal and children’s books about pigs are a great place to start. You can pick up a couple of different kinds, ranging from books overflowing with facts about pigs to books with fun fictional stories alongside cute illustrations to keep your child’s attention.

In the list below, we highlight several wonderful children’s books about pigs. We start off with a great foundational resource for kids. It contains fun facts for children to get to know more about pigs. Then we move on to some fictional stories that take children on fun adventures. We couldn’t leave out the classics! You may even discover a book in this list that you read as a child!

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Children’s Books About Pigs

#1 Best Overall: Learn About Pigs: First Facts for Kids by Goss Castle

The best overall children’s book about pigs is Learn About Pigs: First Facts for Kids by Goss Castle.

This title is available in Kindle and paperback versions and offers a wonderful and engaging introduction to pigs for children. If your child has shown excitement about nature and animals and you want to introduce them to pigs, this is a great ‘first facts’ book for them. Children thrive when they are exposed to nature and even if you don’t live out in the country where it’s easily accessible, you can always incorporate books like these to encourage happiness, well-being, and eco-friendliness.

There are a couple of questions throughout this book that help children pause and explore the world that surrounds them. It contains several different fun facts to help young readers familiarize themselves with pigs, a popular farm yard animal. The pages also contain highly detailed photographs from cover to cover. It teaches children that pigs are highly intelligent creatures. They’re also very social. It also teaches them what they use their snouts for and how many hooves they have.

Customers rate this book 4.7 out of five stars. They love how informative it is and they appreciate that it complements early educational years very well. Children have inquisitive minds and catering to their interests ensures that they develop a love for reading. If there’s a child in your life who has shown interest in animals and nature, picking up a few of these ‘first facts’ type of books can make a lasting impression. This particular book is a part of a series. You can explore the four other books in this ‘learn about’ series so your kiddo has plenty more to discover.

Pros and Cons of Learn About Pigs: First Facts for Kids by Goss Castle

Best Overall

Learn About Pigs - First Facts for Kids

• Offers a wonderful and engaging introduction to pigs for children
• Pages contain highly detailed photographs
• Customers rate this book 4.7 out of five stars

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2. Best Collection: Mercy Watson Boxed Set: Adventures of a Porcine Wonder (Books 1-6) by Kate DiCamillo (Author) and Chris Van Dusen (Illustrator)

As the best set of books we recommend Mercy Watson Boxed Set: Adventures of a Porcine Wonder (Books 1-6) by Kate DiCamillo (Author) and Chris Van Dusen (Illustrator).

This collection includes six books. They are in paperback format, and they all come together in a beautifully illustrated boxed set. Your child gets to enjoy six fiction books about Mercy Watson, the piggy who takes the main stage in each storyline. This is a New York Times best-selling series and because it comes in a boxed set, it’s the perfect gift for the little one in your life. The different stories include Mercy Watson going for a ride, fighting crime, showing up to the rescue, being a princess in disguise, thinking like a pig, and discovering something wonky.

Mercy Watson is a porcine wonder and there’s almost nothing she wouldn’t do! She has a way of following her pursuits in a single-minded fashion. She’s quite mischievous and is always learning something new, whether finding new treats, enjoying new adventures, or even crunching on some buttered toast. This is the type of collection that has readers “squealing with delight.” It’s suitable for children between four and seven years old and all together, this box set includes 496 pages of wondrous fun.

Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars. They love that it’s funny for early readers and the characters are easy to fall in love with. One customer notes that there are a few challenging words in these books for little ones but because the plots are so funny, children are excited to fall in love with the process of turning each page.

Pros and Cons of Mercy Watson Boxed Set: Adventures of a Porcine Wonder (Books 1-6) by Kate DiCamillo (Author) and Chris Van Dusen (Illustrator)

Best Collection

Mercy Watson Boxed Set: Adventures of a Porcine Wonder (Books 1-6)

• New York Times best-selling series
• Suitable for children between four and seven years old
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

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3. Best for the Classroom: If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff (Author) and Felicia Bond (Illustrator)

Reading is an important part of school, so for the classroom we recommend If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff (Author) and Felicia Bond (Illustrator).

This book can be purchased in Kindle, hardcover, paperback, or audio formats. The story is about giving a pig a pancake. Of course, once you give a pig a pancake, she’ll want a little bit of syrup. You move on to get her your favorite maple syrup and then she’s going to get a bit sticky. She’s going to need a bath and she’ll ask for bubbles and then, there will be something else that emerges that she must have. It’s all about accommodating this sweet little pig who is quite busy and a little bit demanding.

This book is part of the ‘if you give’ series. The text is rhythmic as it follows along this circular tale. It’s a perfect choice for readers who are just beginning to follow along with stories. It inspires plenty of giggles and requests to read it again. Some of the other books that you can explore within the series include If You Give a Cat a Cupcake and If You Give a Dog a Donut. These are suitable for children between two years old and six years old. The book is 32 pages long.

Customers rate it 4.9 out of five stars. One customer says he was surprised by the size of this book. He offers a fair warning that it is a very large book even in adult hands, but it was such a delightful surprise for his great-grandchildren. They loved it. Another customer shares that this is a book she loved as a child herself. Now, her son loves it too. It’s engaging and inspiring and she highly recommends it. It’s a true classic for multiple generations. However, some customers reported that the story lacked depth and said that there are only a few words on each page.

Pros and Cons of If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff (Author) and Felicia Bond (Illustrator)

Best for the Classroom

If You Give a Pig a Pancake

• Perfect choice for readers who are just beginning to follow along with stories
• These are suitable for children between two years old and six years old
• Customers rate it 4.9 out of five stars

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4. Best Classic: Charlotte’s Web by E B White (Author) and Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Speaking of classics, we couldn’t give you a list of children’s books about pigs without including Charlotte’s Web by E B White (Author) and Garth Williams (Illustrator).

This is one of America’s top 100 most-loved fiction novels. It’s certainly a classic of children’s literature and is about a humble and radiant pig named Wilbur. This pig is little and is in search of a dear friend. He was born as the runt of his litter and there is a sweet girl named Fern who saved his life.

This is a story about love, life and death, and friendship. It touches on all of these deep topics in a way that touches the hearts of anyone who reads it. Follow along with your children to enjoy the story or let them explore it themselves. It’s suitable for children between the ages of five and nine. It’s also available in several formats including Kindle, audio, hardcover, and paperback.

Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars. One customer shares that he reread this as an adult and is pleasantly surprised by how wonderfully moving the story is. He finds that the author writes in a magical way but still manages to tell a full and deep story with short sentences and simple phrases that children understand easily.

Pros and Cons of Charlotte’s Web by E B White (Author) and Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Best Classic

Charlotte's Web

• One of America’s top 100 most-loved fiction novels
• Suitable for children between the ages of five and nine
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

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5. Best for Celebrating Blessings: My Mom is the Coolest: A Story About a Mother’s Love and Greatness (Pig in Jeans) by Brenda Li

The best book for teaching children how to celebrate their blessings is My Mom is the Coolest: A Story About a Mother’s Love and Greatness (Pig in Jeans) by Brenda Li.

In this textbook, you get some really fun illustrations. It’s all about celebrating a mother’s love. The idea behind this book is to foster gratitude in children. It’s so wonderful when children start learning to count their blessings early on! The story follows Brian and Nathan who are in a bit of a contest trying to figure out who has the coolest mom. To settle their debate, they start telling each other all the awesome things their moms do for them. They tell each other things like, “She listens to me when I’m sad” and “My mom has superpowers — it’s like she can read my mind!”

If you’d like a book that helps inspire thankfulness in your child, this is a title you can’t miss. Children learn how to start acknowledging all of those little moments and blessings their moms bestow upon them daily and can then start applying that same mentality toward every other person in their lives. The book is 36 pages long and the pages are clear and crisp with super cute illustrations and short sentences to keep young readers happily following along. Plus, one of the best features in this book is the fill-in-the-blank and word search section in the book which helps to children to engage and learn.

Pros and Cons of My Mom is the Coolest: A Story About a Mother’s Love and Greatness (Pig in Jeans) by Brenda Li

Best for Celebrating Blessings

My Mom is the Coolest: A Story About a Mother's Love and Greatness (Pig In Jeans)

• A book that helps inspire thankfulness in your child
• Pages are clear and crisp with super cute illustrations and short sentences to keep young readers happily following along
• Customers rate this book five out of five stars

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6. Best Board Book: Pigs in a Pickle by Hans Wilhelm (Author) and Erica Salcedo (Illustrator)

Reading is a fun activity in and of itself but sometimes, you want to incorporate an activity book when you’re dealing with short attention spans. That’s why we recommend Pigs in a Pickle by Hans Wilhelm (Author) and Erica Salcedo (Illustrator).

This is a board book that you can also pick up in a Kindle version and is about three little pigs. These three pigs are fun lovers and are pretty much ready for anything. However, sometimes their days just don’t go as planned. No matter what they encounter or what mistakes they make along the way, they just keep going with a positive attitude, always landing on their teensy feet.

The story’s underlying message is positive, demonstrating that with perseverance, anything is possible. The rhyming is clever, and the text is super easy to follow for little ones. It’s perfect for babies and toddlers. Use it for family storytime. It’s fun and interactive! Plus, it’s great to read out loud, it warms hearts, and inspires confidence. Customers rate it 4.5 out of five stars. The illustrations are adorable and for toddlers that are liking everything pig-related, this is a great addition to their existing library.

Unfortunately, some customers reported that their book was damaged when they received it.

Pros and Cons of Pigs in a Pickle by Hans Wilhelm (Author) and Erica Salcedo (Illustrator)

Best Board Book

Pigs in a Pickle

• Underlying positive message about persevering to attain your dreams
• Rhyming is clever, and the text is super easy to follow for little ones
• Customers rate it 4.5 out of five stars

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Choosing the Best: What to Look For

Not all children’s books about pigs are the same. Some are just fun reads for young children and serve as entertainment. Others incorporate a special message that inspires children. Some are more fact-based, teaching kids the realities of pigs.

Underlying Message

Some books may just be about a silly story that children enjoy. Other books incorporate an underlying message along with a fun story. One of those such books is My Mom is the Coolest: A Story About a Mother’s Love and Greatness. It’s a cute little contest between two pigs but really, the story invites children to foster an attitude of gratitude. This is an important lesson that young readers can learn and begin practicing. Decide which type of lesson you’d like your child to learn next — we guarantee there is a children’s book out there that complements your parenting style perfectly!

Fact-Based vs. Fictional Tales

Some children thrive with fact-based books. They enjoy learning all those fascinating titbits of information that create a whole picture in their minds. Other children enjoy following along with fictional storylines, adventuring along with the main characters in the book. Try giving your child one of each so they can explore the real-life aspects of pigs as well as some entertaining tales that spark their imaginations.

Reading Level

You may overlook the reading level of a book, especially if you’re purchasing a children’s book about pigs for a child not your own. Check with their parents to ask which reading level is appropriate. Some children may read at a more advanced level! Then, be sure to select a book that matches the reading level of the child. This way, they can follow along with ease and get the most out of the story (or facts!).