Nanny Piggins and the Origin Story

By R. A. Spratt

Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury

If you are already a fan of R.A Spratt’s humorous Nanny Piggins series, then you will love reading Piggins’ origin story. If this is your first foray into the world of Nanny Piggins, then be prepared to become a dedicated fan of the irreverent Sarah ‘Nanny’ Piggins, a pig whose love of baking cakes is exceeded only by her love of eating cake.

When Sarah Piggins’ mother abandons Sarah and her fourteen siblings to cook for a billionaire on a yacht in the Mediterranean, the piglets must fend for themselves. Each of her thirteen sisters is as evil as the other, and her brother, Bramwell, is plain useless. However, Sarah is good-hearted and takes it upon herself to look after them by baking cakes and selling them at exorbitant prices, because they are that good.

However, her sisters and Bramwell take the money she has earned and use it to pay for a trip to the circus. In her efforts to punish her siblings for wasting her money, she comes to the attention of the disreputable Ringmaster, who is impressed by her physical abilities. He subsequently kidnaps her and tricks her into signing a fifty-year contract. The rest of the story unfolds as Sarah tries to escape the circus and, in the process, becomes a world-famous flying pig. That is, until she becomes a nanny.

Nanny Piggins’ origin story is filled with Spratt’s cheeky humour and Nanny Piggins’ unconventional, over-the-top take on life. There are outrageous feats, amazing desserts and plenty of misbehaviour, which will be wildly appealing to young readers. What better way for a child to live out their fantasies of dessert for every meal and ignoring the rules set by adults than through a spirited pig who does these things with a side of attitude, and more.

Sarah Piggins is a fantastical character who is both endearing and feisty. She’s not evil like her sisters, but she certainly takes no nonsense and has a healthy sense of her own worth. Spratt builds a particularly entertaining relationship between Sarah and the Ringmaster, who is unlikeable in his lack of a moral compass, but also very entertaining. There are many humorous exchanges between the two, which parents may find equally as amusing as their children.

Nanny Piggins and the Origin Story is a fabulous addition to the Nanny Piggins series. If your young reader likes a story with a lot of humour, attitude and cake, this is definitely the right story for them.

Penguin 2024

R A Spratt