Emil's Clever Pig. Astrid Lindgren

Of all the characters of the children's author Astrid Lindgren I know of, Emil is definitely the most naughty. In the Emil collection of books, he always seems to get into an enormous amount of trouble as his pranks in his little Swedish village are almost all-pervasive. He hoists his little sister up a flagpole, accidentally gets his pig and himself drunk on fermented cherries and sends his older sister running after a horse with a rope around her tooth in his attempts at dentistry. I found the book hilarious when I was a kid. Looking over it now, it's not as funny - other books have better slapstick than here. But Emil often seems to, in his pranks, use his innocence to allow the readers to see some hypocrisy in their life. He is an amazing kid who is very determined, thoughtful and energetic underneath the pranks. A goldmine for any young child when they learn to read (or before!).

Pippi Longstocking may have had her own movie, but Emil will always have my heart! I loved this book as a child, my brother and I were always checking it out of the library along with the other Emil books. The images are so well crafted that I still remember them now and it's been over 20 years since I've read this book. Little Emil may get into a lot of trouble, but he has a heart of gold and grows up to be the well-respected mayor. It's a good lesson for both kids and parents to read together.

It is absolutely inexcusable that this series is out of print. Much better than the Pippi books; full of warmth and genuine humor. Highly recommended.

I haven't read this book since I was a child but it still makes me laugh to think of it. The best images I can recall are when the pig eats fermented cherries and goes on a rampage. I also loved the descriptions of Emil hanging out in the loo, where he is sent when he is badly behaved. This happens all the time! As a child, I found the Emil series funnier than the Pippi Longstocking series and less plot-driven. It's a good book for children who are a bit impatient with overly complex plots as it set in a simple village environment and it offers a lot of laughs along the way. In England the book was called 'Emil and the Clever Pig,' I hope this helps people who are trying to find a copy of it.

Astrid Lindgren's series about Emil from Lunneberg literally take the reader into Emil's life. He is a rowdy little boy, who can't sit in the same spot for longer than a minute. Because of his incredible overflowing energy he gets in trouble everywhere he can find it. It was one of my favorite books when I was growing up, and I think that children like Emil who will read the book, will find a great peace in knowing that "they are not alone". But most of all, I can't think of a better book for adults who had forgotten what childhood is all about to read.