The Christmas Pig

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The Christmas Pig
AuthorJ. K. Rowling
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreChristmas stories, fairy tales, fantasy, children's book
PublisherHachette Children's Group[1]
Publication date
October 2021

The Christmas Pig is a Christmas fairy tale novel by J. K. Rowling. The story was published in October 2021. Upon release, the book received positive critical reviews and emerged a bestseller with high pre-sales on Amazon.[2][3][4]

Plot[]

"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..."[5]

Background[]

Rowling's ideas for The Christmas Pig first originated in 2012. She had always wanted to write a Christmas story, and was inspired by a pair of toy pigs her son had as a young child.[6] She completed writing the book in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rowling said that, due to the pandemic, "I was unusually aware of the need for human connection. I think that's why I kept imagining it being read aloud while working on it, something I've never done with any other book." She described the story as "about being lost and being found, about loving and being loved, about what stays with us and what falls away. It's also about hope and endurance."[1]

The Christmas Pig is illustrated by Jim Field.[7][8]

Release and reception[]

The Christmas Pig was published by Hachette Children's Group in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and India, and by Scholastic in the US and Canada.[8] It was the number one bestseller on its first week on sale in the UK, selling 60,010 copies, the 16th book of Rowling's to reach number one in its first week.[3] The novel also topped The New York Times's children's middle grade hardcover bestseller list.[4]

The Times called the book a "wonderful, timely" story.[9] The New York Times stated, "Rowling has written a marvelously persuasive fantasy for our times, one that looks back to the past in its determination to enlighten and console."[7] The Evening Standard called it "her best since Azkaban".[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Rowling, J. K. (9 October 2021). "JK Rowling: my childhood, the novel I threw away — and how my son inspired my new book". The Times. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b Craig, Amanda (5 October 2021). "The Christmas Pig by JK Rowling review: her best since Azkaban". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b O'Brien, Kiera (19 October 2021). "Rowling's Christmas Pig jingles all the way to number one". The Bookseller. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b Egan, Elisabeth (2 December 2021). "Veteran authors and mistletoe descend on the best-seller list". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  5. ^ "The Christmas Pig – JKR". stories.jkrowling.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  6. ^ Rowling, J. K. (24 December 2021). "J.K. Rowling on the Magic of 'Things'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b Seymour, Miranda (12 October 2021). "In J.K. Rowling's Latest Fantasy Novel, Pigs Do Fly". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b "The Christmas Pig is here!". www.jkrowling.com. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  9. ^ O'Connell, Alex (12 October 2021). "The Christmas Pig by JK Rowling review — an oinktastic tale packed with vivid characters". The Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2021.
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