It's Piglet's Big Movie All Over Again... And It's Not Good

I had several complaints with Piglet's Big Movie when I finally got around to seeing it, but chief among them was the fact that Piglet's friends were acting so inconsiderate toward him. Frankly, they were being downright rude, and I can't condone that sort of behavior, nor do I think it is consistent with their personalities. They stepped out of character in order to impart a moral that, while worthwhile, did not merit such a heavy-handed approach. The problem of Piglet's size and insecurity has been handled much more deftly.

So I was disappointed to discover that Just Be Nice... and let everyone play!, one of two Pooh books my mom snagged for me at the thrift store today, went down that same road. It doesn't appear to be a tie-in with the movie, but the situation is very similar. Piglet sees his friends engaged in various activities, but when he asks to join them, they reject him for various reasons that all boil down to him being too small.

I can almost accept Tigger's laughing response that Piglets can't bounce because he tends to be flighty and as a result has the greatest potential to offend unintentionally. Besides, it probably is true that Piglets aren't too adept at bouncing, but historically Tigger doesn't seem too concerned about the physical capacity of others; he just wants them to share in his exuberance. Worse than Tigger is Rabbit, who is typically irritable, but the crank-o-meter is set way higher than usual here, and he seems monstrously aggravated by Piglet's mere presence.

Worst of all, however, is Pooh, who is Piglet's best friend, after all. The two have gone on many honey hunts together, but here he dismisses the notion of Piglet joining him and Eeyore in their quest for the sticky substance as ludicrous, warning of the possibility of meeting heffalumps and woozles. "You need to be very brave for a honey hunt," he explains condescendingly. "And Piglets aren't very brave."

Piglets certainly aren't very happy after being shot down by five of their friends, so there is an appropriate moping period, after which Piglet devises his own game with which to amuse himself, in which respect he succeeds so beautifully that he has nearly forgotten his friends' indiscretions before long... until they show up wanting to join in his revelry.

The story, by Leslie McGuire, boasts not only unsatisfying characterization but also very bland prose. Some Pooh stories sing; this one just drones, its wording uninspired as its plot. Luckily, Francesc Rigol's illustrations are bright, cheery and reasonably detailed, and the shaping of the book around Piglet's face is a fun feature, so the book's not a total loss. As with the movie, the message is a good one, but I'm not in favor of sabotaging characters in order to prove a point, so I would pass on Just Be Nice... and let everyone play! The label may say Golden Books, but it looks more like pyrite to me.