Cover design by David Curtis and cover art by Pascal Campion.

The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City

publishes on October 3, 2017!

In this delightful middle grade debut, a little pig in a big city leads to lots of trouble.

Josie Shilling's family is too big, their cramped city house is too small, and she feels like no one's ever on her side.

Then on Thanksgiving Day her older brother, Tom, brings home a tiny pink piglet he rescued from a farm outside the city. Her name is Hamlet. The minute Josie holds Hamlet she feels an instant connection.

But there's no room for Hamlet in the crowded Shilling household. And who ever heard of keeping a pig in the city? So it's up to Josie to find her a forever home.

This modern-day homage to Charlotte's Web is a heartwarming tale of family, belonging, and growing bigger when you've always felt small – perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Cammie McGovern.

Preorder from IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Powell's, HarperCollins, Target and Amazon – and at your local bookstore! You can also ask your local librarian to order a copy.

“We fell in love with THE UNLIKELY STORY OF A PIG IN THE CITY! Jodi Kendall has written a charming book with powerful lessons about family and animal welfare. No matter how big she gets, there’s always room for Hamlet in our hearts. ”

— Steve Jenkins & Derek Walter, New York Times Bestselling authors of ESTHER THE WONDER PIG

“Jodi Kendall’s utterly charming, heartfelt story of the unlikely bond between a girl and a pig just goes to show that sometimes it takes a little pig with a big heart to bring a family together again. Move over Wilbur, there’s a new pig in town!”

— Bobbie Pyron, critically-acclaimed author of A Dog’s Way Home

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Product Details

ISBN: 9780062484536
ISBN 10: 0062484532
Imprint: HarperCollins
On Sale: 10/03/2017
Trimsize: 5.5 in (w) x 8.25 in (h) x 1.09 in (d)
Pages: 336
List Price: 16.99 USD
Ages: 8 to 12
BISAC1: JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Pigs
BISAC2: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Adolescence
BISAC3: JUVENILE FICTION / Family / General (see also headings under Social Themes)

Recent Press for THE UNLIKELY STORY OF A PIG IN THE CITY:

The Hunterdon County News: Del Val Grad Lands Two-Book Deal with HarperCollins

One-Page Book Download

NOW BOOKING 2017-2018 SCHOOL AND LIBRARY VISITS! Click here to learn more about my presentations and to schedule.

clearly not a food photographer but homemade vegan thai peanut sauce on sweet potato zoodles with vegan key lime pie is a pretty amazing lunch 🙌 pie recipe from @minimalistbaker (thx for the tip @meaghanjeanne!) and I vegan-ized the @thecreativebite peanut sauce recipe that @meghanbwellness sent me by just swapping honey out and agave in. super easy! just remembered I have bean sprouts, I need to throw those in.... 💃

pigs are incredibly intelligent - they've been known to complete tasks faster than dogs and even some chimpanzees - and these amazing animals have been on the planet since the ice age. they're curious and social, can get bored and depressed, and studies also suggest pigs have feelings and empathy towards their penmates. several of the pigs i filmed in these videos were saved from abandonment, slaughter & neglect -- one of them, which was purchased as a "teacup mini pig" was actually kept in an aquarium as a fast-growing piglet until it was rescued 💔 Pigs love to sunbathe, soak in swimming holes, and breathe in fresh air. DYK that more than 170,000 pigs die in transport each year, with more than 420,000 of them crippled before they arrive at the slaughterhouse? and because of improper law-required stunning methods in extremely fast lines -- up to 1,100 pigs are killed every hour at a typical slaughterhouse -- many hogs are alive & squealing when they're dumped in scalding hot hair-removal tanks to drown. my animal research and close encounters with pigs motivated me to quit consuming pork products awhile back, and eventually all meat, and now I'm a vegan (cheese was the hardest thing for me to remove from my diet, but I've learned too much to truly miss it). I'm not living the "perfect" vegan lifestyle, but I'm doing the best I can with what I can control, and I'm still learning a ton. But I'm choosing to live a compassionate, kind life that does not require the suffering of animals. need more reasons to give up pork -- or all animal -- products? watch Forks Over Knives and What The Health, both on Netflix right now... they're research-based documentaries and provide an extremely compelling case for going vegetarian/vegan. I'm happy to share book recommendations too, if you'd like some! Also head to Veganuary.com for a fabulous starter kit to try the vegan diet for 30 days. I also like thekindlife.com 👍 even if you're not ready (or not interested) in making the switch, everyone should know how food gets to our plate, and the impact our eating choices can have on the human body and the beautiful planet we share. #friendsnotfood #theunlikelystoryofapiginthecity

my daughter and I visited another private VA farm today (with some new friends!), and this one has many different kinds of animals, most of which were saved from neglect, certain death, abandonment, and so on. this miniature horse is Charlotte, and she's truly the sweetest thing -- walks right up to you to sniff and loves neck rubs. she was saved off the auction block on a truck destined for Mexico, where she would've been sold for slaughter. her mom is here on the farm, too. and they're friends with the alpacas! more photos and videos soon, after I've had time to process everything a bit... as sad as many of these animals' backstories are, there are good people out there in the world, doing good, compassionate, peaceful work, which was a nice reminder when oftentimes the world/politics/etc can be overwhelming and violent and depressing. so, here I am, trying to do my part of good in the world, too. I recognize and appreciate the enormous responsibility that comes with writing books, and as I jump back into edits for Book 2 this afternoon, I'm reminded of something E.B. White once said: "A writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error. S/he should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life." So back at it I go, with the truest heart that I can give... 👩‍💻

thank you @teachpedd for this lovely review! ❤️🐷🏙📖
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Five kids, a townhouse, a cold Ohio winter and a tiny piglet that arrives Thanksgiving day. The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City is beautiful. 🐖 I read the entire book in two sittings. Each chapter seemed to urge me to start the next. I also loved the OSU references. Go Bucks! ❤️ Josie is faced with the challenge of finding Hamlet a home by January 1st. Her house seems to crowded for her and now there is a growing pig! Josie tries to balance pushing herself to be the best she can be in gymnastics, taking care of Hamlet, and working with her friends to find him a home. I love how this story tackles large families, financial stress, responsibility, changing friendships and understanding who you want to become. Get ready to add this to your classroom library in October! .
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today we hauled 136 hay bales from the feed store to the virginia alpaca farm where I've been spending a lot of time lately... it was a good bit work on a hot summer morning, but great fun too! my whole family got their hands dirty on the farm together, feeding, cleaning & working, which was really special. outdoor farm chores are good for the soul 🌾 especially us city folk! after this long trip, it's hard to believe we'll be back in manhattan soon...

$YOU GUISE THIS IS EVERYTHING 🙌❤️🐷📖 {photo credit @books_n_co in wisconsin} . . . #kidsbookclub #mglit #mgfiction #middlegrade #theunlikelystoryofapiginthecity #class2k17books #childrensbookauthor #pigbooks #harperchildrens$