J.K. Rowling's new children's book released
J. K. Rowling’s much-anticipated new children’s book, “The Christmas Pig,” has been released, and fans will enjoy diving into a fantasy story which the author says “has been years in the writing.”
The story begins with Jack, who is a happy 5-year old living with his parents. He has a favorite toy, Dur Pig (known as DP). “Dur Pig got his name because when Jack started to talk, he said ‘dur pig’ instead of ‘the pig.” DP is made of soft fabric but his once-pink color has faded through many adventures and washings. Jack tells DP all his secrets and falls asleep with DP every night.
One evening, Jack hears his parents have a terrible argument. Jack soon learns that his father will be living elsewhere, and he and his mother will be moving. This is all pretty devastating, but at least Jack still has DP for comfort--that is, until his new stepsister, Holly, throws DP out of the car window and he’s lost somewhere in the middle of the traffic. Jack is inconsolable after this. All these strange changes, and now DP is lost, too.
Holly tries to make up for her action by giving Jack a new stuffed pig toy to replace DP, but of course that’s not the same at all, and on Christmas Eve, he plans to sneak out of the house before anyone else is up Christmas morning to go back to the highway and look for his beloved toy.
Jack wakes up in the dark and hears voices talking. He’s astonished to find that the voices belong to his toys, including his new stuffed toy, the Christmas Pig. When Jack gets over his surprise, he learns the Christmas Pig has a plan to help Jack recover DP.
“I’m going to the motorway,” says Jack.
“That won’t work,” replies the Christmas Pig. “DP is in the Land of the Lost now and if you want to save him, you’ll have to go and find him there and come home together.”
Other toys object to the plan because it would be so dangerous for a human child to enter a place which is meant only for lost things. As Jack’s toy car explains, “The Land of the Lost is where Things go when you lose them. It’s a strange and terrible place, governed by its own peculiar laws. I’ve been there many times because you and your dad lost me so many times . . . thank goodness, the Loser never got me.”
The Loser is in charge of making the laws in the land of the Lost, “but sometimes he cheats,” warns the Christmas Pig. Still, there’s no question that Jack wants to get DP back more than anything. With a little Christmas magic, Jack shrinks down to the size of a toy himself, and then he and the Christmas Pig drop down through the floor under the Christmas tree and enter the Land of the Lost to begin their quest.
Rowling’s new story is illustrated with black-and-white artwork by award-winning artist Jim Field. If you know a young reader who enjoys fantasy fiction, or are looking for a new family read-aloud, this book delivers 270 pages of magical adventure.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: J.K. Rowling's new children's book released
