Hamming it up
Bill Peet was an animator for Walt Disney (1937 to 1967), but when the stress was too much, he branched out in his own and created some of the most wonderful and memorable characters in children’s books. Peet writes beautifully. Each story lightly touching on human values and nature without being overbearing.
And his illustrations were so full of character and liveliness, it almost seems almost wrong to attempt my own version. Almost. This is Chester the Worldly Pig.
Chester believes he is destined for better things than the dinner table. He runs away to join the circus, but things go awry and soon Chester is running for his life. Eventually he is "discovered" and becomes a stunning hit. The only pig in the world with markings that are a map of the world.
(If Chester had known showoffs are sometimes called hams, he surely would have been horrified -Bill Peet, Chester the Worldly Pig.)
