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Description

The Pig in the Spigot informs the reader that a pig in the spigot is no big problem; a little extra water will flush him out. An ox in the phlox is more worrisome. The elf in the belfry has a problem; a belfry is too gloomy for an elf. And the rat on Ararat has no problems at all; he should go make friends with the lady rat. In short verses, the poet Richard Wilbur invites the reader to find friendly little words inside big words, and then to imagine why they’re there. These games are very good — for banishing the natural fear that culture arouses in beginners. This book suggests instead: “Make a friend within the scary word, and then work together with that friend to figure out the place where it lives.” That’s good strategy for coming to terms with new words. Indeed, it’s pretty good strategy for coming to understand any complex thing: find some part you know about, and work outward from there.

Publication Date

2026

Publisher

Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children

City

Montclair

Keywords

education, literacy, words

Disciplines

Early Childhood Education | Education | Philosophy

<em>Pig in the Spigot</em> (2000) by Richard Wilbur

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