The Pig War

How a Porcine Tragedy Taught England and America to Share

Illustrated by Alison Jay
Look inside
Hardcover
$18.99 US
On sale Nov 10, 2020 | 48 Pages | 9781684371716

See Additional Formats
Here is a true story of how the great nations of America and England almost went to war in 1859 over a pig—but learned to share instead.

In 1859, the British and Americans coexist on the small island of San Juan, located off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. They are on fairly good terms--until one fateful morning when an innocent hog owned by a British man has the misfortune to eat some potatoes on an American farmer's land. In a moment of rash anger, Lyman Cutlar shoots Charles Griffin's pig, inadvertently almost bringing the two nations to war. Tensions flare, armies gather, cannons are rolled out . . . all because of a pig! Emma Bland Smith's humorous text and Alison Jay's folksy illustrations combine in this whimsical nonfiction picture book that models the principles of peaceful conflict resolution.
  • AWARD
    NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies
Emma Bland Smith is a children's librarian and writer. Her first picture book, Journey, won Bank Street College's Cook Prize and Northland College's SONWA award. View titles by Emma Bland Smith
Alison Jay has been drawing and painting since she was a child. She is the illustrator of many picture books, including If Kisses Were Colors by Janet Lawler and Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator, and is the author and illustrator of Bee and Me. Alison lives in London, England. View titles by Alison Jay

About

Here is a true story of how the great nations of America and England almost went to war in 1859 over a pig—but learned to share instead.

In 1859, the British and Americans coexist on the small island of San Juan, located off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. They are on fairly good terms--until one fateful morning when an innocent hog owned by a British man has the misfortune to eat some potatoes on an American farmer's land. In a moment of rash anger, Lyman Cutlar shoots Charles Griffin's pig, inadvertently almost bringing the two nations to war. Tensions flare, armies gather, cannons are rolled out . . . all because of a pig! Emma Bland Smith's humorous text and Alison Jay's folksy illustrations combine in this whimsical nonfiction picture book that models the principles of peaceful conflict resolution.

Awards

  • AWARD
    NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies

Author

Emma Bland Smith is a children's librarian and writer. Her first picture book, Journey, won Bank Street College's Cook Prize and Northland College's SONWA award. View titles by Emma Bland Smith
Alison Jay has been drawing and painting since she was a child. She is the illustrator of many picture books, including If Kisses Were Colors by Janet Lawler and Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator, and is the author and illustrator of Bee and Me. Alison lives in London, England. View titles by Alison Jay

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more