Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Pig on the Titanic: A True Story
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 8
HarperCollins, 2005 ISBN: 978-0060523053
Maxixe is a pig, a little white music box pig who plays cheerful music when you wind up her tail. Miss Edith Rosenbaum is leaving Paris for New York and Maxixe is a going away gift from Miss Edith’s mother who thinks that there is “nothing better than music to chase your troubles away.” Neither Edith nor her mother can possibly imagine how important Maxixe and her music are going to be in the not too distant future.
For several days Edith and Maxixe have an ideal voyage on the Titanic, a ship everyone is saying is unsinkable. Dinner at the Captain’s table, walks on deck, visits to all the lovely public rooms on the ship; Edith and Maxixe do it all. Then one night the Titanic strikes an iceberg and Edith and her little white pig find themselves in the middle of one of the biggest maritime disasters of all time. In the darkest time of all when people begin to despair, Maxixe and her cheerful music make children smile and give them hope.
This special account of a music box pig’s adventures on the ill-fated Titanic is based on the true story of a young woman who survived the sinking of the great ship and whose music box pig played a very important role for some of the survivors as they waited to be rescued. An author’s note at the back of the book gives the reader further information about Edith and her special musical companion.
