REVIEW: Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter
In the summer of 2012, Steve Jenkins was contacted by an old friend about adopting a micro piglet. Though he knew his partner Derek wouldn’t be enthusiastic, he agreed to take the adorable little pig anyway, thinking he could care for her himself. Little did he know, that decision would change his and Derek’s lives forever. It turned out there was nothing “micro” about Esther, and Steve and Derek had actually signed on to raise a full-sized commercial pig. Within three years, Tiny Esther grew to a whopping 600 pounds. After some real growing pains and a lot of pig-sized messes, it became clear that Esther needed much more space, so Steve and Derek made another life-changing decision: they bought a farm and opened the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, where they could care for Esther and other animals in need. Funny, heartwarming, and utterly charming, ESTHER THE WONDER PIG follows Steve and Derek’s adventure–from reluctant pig parents to farm-owning advocates for animals.
Gentlemen,
With a title like that, how could I resist reading the blurb. Plus Esther’s cover photo is so darn cute. I started this book hoping I could get a little bit read on my reading schedule that day and ended up inhaling the whole thing in no time. From the moment the so-called mini-pig enters the scene, Esther steals the show. I worried about how Esther’s non-expected entrance would go and how the vet would break the news of her expected ultimate size. Then came pig-proofing the house – really, can that ever be done? Truth though, dealing with housebreaking a mammoth sized porcine princess sounds like something not for the faint of heart. I’ll pass on that experience.
But the best is yet to come with Esther’s runaway Facebook page and gentle lessons in how we view all living creatures. The included photos are priceless. The amazing story of finding the dream farm and reaching for what seemed an impossible goal then getting it made me smile. Esther does live up to her billing as a truly wonderful ambassadress to all things pig. B+
~Jayne
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I just watched OKJA last week, the Korean movie about a giant, sentient pig. It was sweet, sad, wonderful, rage-inducing, funny and, above all, thought-provoking. Esther might be the good news I need after that. Thanks for the review.
@Darlynne: Remember – cats look down on you, dogs look up to you but a pig treats you as an equal.
This sounds so cute – and my library has it so I’ve put it on hold.