A pig bikes to his construction job (at Wolf construction company). He drives a backhoe at work, while some alligators use excavators. They complete the construction of a pond, then get to dive in and enjoy it. The words are simple but entertaining in this well-loved easy reader.
The two ladies next door plant some flowers. The pig, Mercy Watson, smells them and decides to have a feast. This angers one of the ladies, who calls animal control, who sets out to find the pig. Meanwhile, Mercy is invited to a tea party with some neighborhood kids. She is excited with the chance of food. However, it turns out it is imaginary and she wants out. The animal control officer tries to find the pig by looking in a tree. She sees the tea party and jumps down to get the pig (bomping her head in the process.) There is some screaming. The family hears the pig and is excited to find her. Everyone then meets together to eat toast.
The story is divided into chapters, but is a quick read. The illustrations are great and match the quirky sense of humor of the writing. The characters have a naive sensibility and know their role and seek the best with each other.
There are a lot of details that go into raising pigs. It is interesting that the nature of intervention in typical pig raising is similar to the human medical system. We intervene in the lives and raise animals in non-standard ways. Then we need to intervene more medically and nutritionally in order for them to survive this non-standard upbringing.
