“Happy as…

By Sharon Giltrow

…a pig in mud.” We all know the saying, but what if contrary to popular belief, you are a pig or hog who doesn’t like mud. To be contrary is to do the opposite of what is expected. As writers, we can use this contrariness to create memorable characters. A great example of this is in the book, HAPPY AS A HOG OUT OF MUD. The main character, Charlesworth Oinkington (how great is that name), is a hog that doesn’t like mud. He prefers to sip tea, go bird watching, and read poetry. This is not what we expect a hog to do. Take a look at the front cover, you can see Charlesworth’s disdain for mud.

Happy as a Hog out of Mud
Written and Illustrated by: Sean E Avery
Published by: Larrikin House , 2021
Warthogs LOVE to play in mud. But not Charlie...
Charlesworth Oinkington is a sophisticated gentle-hog who would rather sip tea, go bird watching and read poetry.
Happy as a Hog out of Mud celebrates difference and acceptance via light-hearted humour and cannonballs!
Readers will enjoy exploring a range of different animals, engage with the hilarious and quirky illustrations and marvel at the memorable characters.

Let’s look inside HAPPY AS A HOG OUT OF MUD to see other examples of where Charlesworth is acting contrary. Sean also provides some insight into why these spreads are his favourite.

S - The warthogs playing in mud and 'cannonballing' have great energy from left to right — I think I've done a good job leading my readers' eye around the spread and setting up for some chaos on the next page.

Sh- In this page, Charlesworth is happy to be who he is and do what he enjoys doing regardless of the other warthogs asking him to go in the mud.

S- I love the nasty flamingos and the variety of animals. I also got to indulge in a bit of rhyme here too, which I always enjoy!

Sh- Here you can see one of the reasons Charlesworth doesn’t want to act like the other warthogs - the flamingos are saying mean things about warthogs.

Thanks Sean for introducing us to your quirky and humorous character Charlesworth Oinkington.

When you create your next character, make them act contrary to what is expected. If you do, I promise they will be a much more interesting and memorable character.
 
See you in February with another great Aussie book.
 
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GIVEAWAY
For a chance to win a copy of AS HAPPY AS A HOG OUT OF MUD

1. Comment on this blog post
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4. The winner will be announced on twitter on Monday 31st January
   

BIO:
Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB, BEDTIME DADDY! released May 2020 through EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB, GET READY, MAMA! Is due to be released through EK books in April, 2022. Her third PB, LET’S GO SHOPPING, GRANDMA! is due to be released through Dixi Books in 2022. SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT, book one in Sharon’s early MG series – THE UTILITY BELT, will be released in 2022 through Clear Fork Publishing.  With book two TOBY KING AND THE UTILITY BELT to follow.