February 2013. The laptop gets tapped by a two-year-old while the husky laughing “voice” of a pig fills the house, interrupted by occasional grunts, the not-so-occasional “d-i-n-o-s-a-u-r” combined with growls and short speeches that would make the Queen of England proud. Peppa Pig and family — out on a global conquest — had taken over our house in a north Calcutta lane too. 

April 2017. Our pad is littered with all things Peppa — stuffed toys (but of course!), a book shelf dedicated to this lovable pig, water bottle, pencils.... the works (minus the Heinz can of Peppa Pig pasta shapes in tomato sauce)!

This cute, pink pig family — created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker as an animation series for UK’s Channel 5 and Nick Jr in 2004 — is a rage among kids worldwide. So all would-be moms and dads, say hello to Peppa Pig. Because like my six-year-old, your bundle of joy will, in all likelihood, be spending quite a bit of time with this porcine family!

Daddy Pig

Daddy isn’t posh like mummy and loves to goof around, which makes him a big hit with the little ones. He is an architect who is loved by all in office, which rarely pops up on the show. He is there when the kids need someone to teach them football or when the Wolf family needs a (brick!) house made.

Peppa Pig

She’s a four-year-old (some say she’s older!) piglet who loves jumping in muddy puddles, dreams big, is never afraid to try new things and speaks English like the British (which the kids looove). She is fun-loving like her dad and competent like her mom, which is evident from the way she minds li’l brother George.

Brother George

That little fella can be quite a handful. He loves to play with a baby dinosaur toy and the only word he can utter is “dinosaur”!

Mummy Pig

Mummy Pig works from home on a computer in the spare room (we don’t know the exact nature of her business) and speaks with an accent that would make the Queen of England proud. Her infectious lilt keeps pre-schoolers engaged. Mummy Pig can’t be messed with, she is a model of perfection (which can be bit of a problem!).

Why Peppa Pig works

• Hide and Seek, Gardening, The Tooth Fairy, Very Hot Day… most of the 200-plus episodes are five-minute long. Matching a child’s short attention span is probably why Peppa Pig is such a success. 
• Simply drawn characters splashed with primary colours.
• The characters crack jokes in a British accent. The kids love things like... 
Mrs. Rabbit: Morning, Grandpa Pig! Out on your toy train again?
Grandpa Pig: Gertrude is not a toy. She is a miniature locomotive!
Or, when Daddy Pig insists his fat is “pure muscle”!

Life lessons from the Peppa pig family

• Coping after falling out with the best friend l Taking their first trip to the dentist l Benefits of eating salads and tidying up l Importance of library (yes, even in Gen Mobile) l About getting along with everyone l No blaming anyone when a family holiday goes wrong l Grandparents retiring and enjoying the good life

Mad about ‘muddy puddles’ 

This family lives atop a mountain but most of the episodes end with them leaving their cosy place to jump in muddy puddles… with colourful boots on! When the two piglets have to celebrate, the muddy puddle is the place to be. The parents don’t consider this messy. And trust me, your kid will be doing the same on their way back from school!

Small wonder

• All the characters are the same size — elephant, pig and rabbit, et al. 
• Some animals are still animals. Pigs, sheep and squirrels speak English; ducks, spiders and parrots do not. 
• Only the Queen is human in this world of animals. 

Text: Mathures Paul
Is Peppa Pig a part of your family? Tell t2@abp.in