Name: Eva Ströberg's review of The Christmas Pig by J. K. Rowling
Item: The Christmas Pig
Rating: 4
Author: Eva Ströberg

J. K. Rowling

A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child's love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world's greatest storytellers. One boy and his toy are about to change everything... Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens -- DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life... even toys. And Jack's newest toy -- the Christmas Pig (DP's replacement) -- has a daring plan: Together they'll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known...

The Christmas Pig

Allie Herrington

Eva Ströberg

What a delightful Christmas story! I know it's for kids, but JK Rowling is a good writer that this book is also enjoyable for adults. There's the siblings drama, the family problem with divorce, jealousy, and all the moral messages propped in a book

A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child's love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world’s greatest storytellers. One boy and his toy are about to change everything... Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens -- DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life... even toys. And Jack’s newest toy -- the Christmas Pig (DP’s replacement) – has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known...

Tiago Mariz

Loved it! Such a charming Christmas story…

Such an imaginative look at this commonplace childhood experience. We all have had a beloved toy that was misplaced for a time. This magical Christmas Eve story was perfect for my Christmas Eve reading tradition. Loved it!!

Tracie McMurray

Loved it ! It is such a sweet heartwarming Christmas story with a deeper and touching meaning. I recommend it as a bedtime story book. But do be aware when reading it to a child that it is about a family splitting and reforming a new one. It is full of hope and healing but be aware if ever that could be a sensitive or difficult subject for your kid.

Sarah

Sarah Ryan

Read this to the kids over a couple of weeks. Lovely story for this time of year with an ending that kept everyone happy.

One boy and his toy are about to change everything... Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve, something terrible happens - DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life... even toys. And Jack's newest toy - the Christmas Pig (DP's annoying replacement) - has a daring plan: Together they'll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known... A heartwarming page-turning adventure about one child's love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world's greatest storytellers. A gorgeously gifty hardback, with full-colour jacket and featuring 9 black and white spreads and decorative inside art from renowned illustrator, Jim Field.

Stefanie Sugia

"The night for miracles and lost causes won't last forever. Once it's over, finders keepers."

I was super excited when I found out that J.K. Rowling is coming up with a new book; because last year I really enjoyed reading 
  The Ickabog
—which is also a children's book like this one. The book cover was the first thing that caught my attention because first of all, the Christmas Pig looks so adorable, and second, it's a story about toys and things that comes to life. This magical, heartwarming story is truly a perfect book to read for Christmas. It also has a meaningful moral message which is great for children to learn while reading. Even though it is meant to be a children's book, I found myself relishing Jack's thrilling adventure with the Christmas Pig in the Land of the Lost.

At the beginning of the story, J.K. Rowling introduced our main character, Jack, and his relationship with Dur Pig (DP for short). The author managed to build such a deep connection between them both, which made us understand how much DP meant to Jack. At such a young age, Jack also had to witness his parents got divorced—and during that difficult time, DP brings him the comfort that he needs. So when DP was suddenly lost, the reader would certainly be able to sympathize with Jack as he was so heartbroken that caused him to throw a huge tantrum. Although he's given the Christmas Pig as a replacement (which is the exact same kind of toy as DP), Jack was not happy because he feels like the Christmas Pig is not DP. Therefore, when the Christmas Pig comes to life on Christmas Eve and offered Jack to go on an adventure to find DP, he didn't think twice about doing what needs to be done to get his dearest and closest friend back.
"I had a friend who always understood me, but then I lost him and it ruined everything..."

  "These two came bravely into the Land of the Lost in the hope of achieving the impossible and tonight, the night for miracles and lost causes, they have a chance."

The real story begins when Jack and the Christmas Pig arrived in the Land of the Lost—where everything that's lost in the world are sorted to different areas according to their significance. The two of them went on a journey through the Land of the Lost, trying to find clues about where they will be able to find DP. During their adventure, they came across many different Things—which will either help them or hinder their journey. One of my favorite Things in this book is Blue Bunny—an unwanted toy that was won in a raffle at the fair, which then was thrown out of the open window into a muddy flowerbed. His story was really sad because all he wanted was for someone to play with him 🥺. After a very heroic moment (which I won't go into detail in this review), I'm glad Blue Bunny got the happy ending that he deserves.❤️

Along the way, Jack and the Christmas Pig also met other 'Things' like Happiness and Hope. I truly did not expect them to be in the Land of the Lost, but I think it's a nice addition to the story. I was suddenly reminded that some people can feel like they lost their happiness or hope due to a certain circumstances; and because people are eager to look for them, they live in The City of the Missed. Happiness and Hope truly played a huge role in assisting Jack and the Christmas Pig to escape 'the bad guys' and finally find where DP is located. Another interesting 'Things' that exist in the Land of the Lost are Bad Habits—which includes chewing nails, smoking cigarettes, bullying, and many more. I think it's a really fun way for children to learn that those behaviors are considered as something that should be avoided. There are more fascinating Things that Jack and the Christmas Pig met in the Land of the Lost; and I absolutely love how J.K. Rowling give them all distinct personality and background story which made us sympathize with the things that have been broken, lost, or discarded. Reading this book actually made think about the things I've lost and ended up forgetting, and how those 'Things' would feel about being forgotten—it makes me feel a bit sad and wants to treasure my things better in the future.

  "I may not shine as brightly as my friend Happiness, but my flame is harder to extinguish."

"And then something extraordinary happened—something simply magnificent. It could only have happened on the night for miracles and lost causes, and only then because Jack had refused to give up hope, because nothing can be lost for good until all hope has gone..."
There are so many heartwarming moments in this book that made me go "Awww~" many many times and I even teared up a little bit towards the end. I find the Christmas Pig especially cute whenever he hold his belly tight to muffle the sound of the beans inside of him. Those moments are supposed to be intense because they're sneaking around, but imagining the Christmas Pig hugging his belly is just way too adorable 😆. I also love how the story managed to keep me on the edge until the very end. Considering this is a children's book, I expected it to have a happy ending; but I just can't help feeling the tension and constantly hoping for Jack and the Christmas Pig to survive this journey.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish; the beautiful illustrations by Jim Field definitely helped me imagine what the Land of the Lost looks like. J.K. Rowling successfully played with my emotions; I felt sad when the characters are sad, and happy when they're happy. As I've said earlier, this book is great for children to read because it allows us to imagine that Things also have emotions and the story has a really good moral message as well. After finishing this book, I find the Christmas Pig so endearing and I want to give him the hug that he deserves. Hopefully J.K. Rowling will continue publishing new books in the years to come because I've been loving them so far! Can't wait to read more of her writing 😊!
"He was a Replacement, and Replacements, once Alivened, understand all about their owner from the very start. All that I know about you, he knows, and he's always loved you, just as much as I do."


Read my full review here:
https://www.thebookielooker.com/2021/...

Ana V. 

What a wonderful but sad journey. It starts quite fast but has a great rhythm and it pays off in the end.
This story is very close to my heart. I used to be so sad that things that got lost or were unique couldn't be replaced that when I was a child I couldn't borrow books from the library afraid that I would have to return that copy that made me laugh or cry. So many years later, I still feel that with great books. I'm glad I'm holding this copy and I won't let it go.
This story is more than a boy traveling to the Land of the Lost where all lost Things live (some are unmaterial like Happiness and Voice) to get his lost toy back. It's about loss, Hope, sacrifice, and growth. And Jack will be there along with Alice, Lucy, Clara...

Luna

the family? annoying. the magical plot? stunning. the lunch box chapter? disturbing. 

i think this would be a five star for me if i liked the main characters but … they just get worse. the “loving” family doesn’t consider each other’s feelings at all (which is expected because why would parents actually take care of their young children), but when we left them to go to the land of the lost, i had a lot of fun. i loved the cute talking toys (& yes i did cry because it is SAD) but then … page 151???

i kinda expected it from jkr but for multiple people to have approved this scene — where the two main characters violate another character and then tell her she can’t tell anyone because they’ll believe the guys — when it could have very easily been made consensual if they asked her permission!!! why??? i couldn’t focus for the rest of the book because i was just wondering what the heck was wrong with jack and the christmas pig to do that. 

i stan dur pig, and i would stan jack and cp if they didn’t …. do that to our poor lunch box. otherwise the toy/object characters are ridiculously adorable.

Allie Herrington &
The Christmas Pig by J. K. Rowling

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Allie Herrington &The Christmas Pig by J. K. Rowling

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Allie Herrington &
The Christmas Pig by J. K. Rowling