The princess and the pig

Name: The princess and the pig
Author: Jonathan Emmett
ISBN: 9780802723352

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jonathan Emmett

Reading Level 4-5 C · Gentle Ages 5-8 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

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About This Book

Priscilla the princess is running through the royal nursery, but suddenly—she's not herself! Somehow, she's swapped places with Pigmella, the farmer’s piglet, and now everything is upside down. Will a kiss fix this fairy tale fiasco, or is this mix-up here to stay?

Themes

HumorFairy TalesAnimalsIdentity

Quick Assessment

A royal baby and a farmer's piglet are accidentally swapped, and the princess grows up happily on the farm while the piglet faces a very different life at the castle. Parents should know it is a silly, fairy-tale parody with lots of playful nods to classic stories and humorous illustrations, with only very mild peril and no meaningful scary content. It is a light, gentle read that works well for early readers.

Why we rated The princess and the pig C (Gentle)

The princess and the pig is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 32 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 6 and up can manage The princess and the pig on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate The princess and the pig as C (Gentle) because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.

Thematically, The princess and the pig explores humor, fairy tales, animals, and identity — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about humor, fairy tales, animals.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?