I Will Not Wear Pink

Plunkett Pig is an exhibitionist, one who in his own words is ‘The Toff who shows off,/ stands out in a crowd.  He also – and he has my sympathies here – objects to being told what to do, or what to wear. Imagine his reaction then when he receives an invitation from one Priscilla, another porker, asking him to a pink themed party and demanding frills, no less.

Protestations aplenty ensue: ‘… in pink, popsy pink I WON’T be seen dead,’ he declares for ‘there is one sort of pink/ so divine, so sublime, / and the best of it is / that it’s already mine, /from the tip of my tail/ to the snoot of my snout, /pink is the shade of the skin that I’m in. /Pink’s where I end and where I begin.’ What wonderful lyrics Joyce Dunbar writes. Our porky pal then scoots off to confront his host and suggest a spot of canoodling, after which he urges fellow guests too, to be in the buff and join in with the wallowing and whooping down at – and in – the pond, whereafter a terrific time is had by all.

Polly Dunbar’s exuberant scenes are as wonderful as Joyce’s zippy text – I’m sure they both had fantastic fun over this mother/daughter collaboration. Delivered with panache, it’s a supremely assured celebration of self-expression and individuality; it reads aloud like a dream and is enormous fun to share with audiences of all ages.

This is one of the first releases from the new Otter-Barry imprint and sets the bar very high for what might follow.