- Graphic Novels
- Ages 7–10
- Comedy
Peng and Spanners: When Pigs Go Bad!
Book 2 of 4 in Peng and SpannersView the full series
A second Peng and Spanners adventure that pits the daft animal duo against one very bad pig. Loud, silly, accessible.
- Best for7–10
- FormatGraphic
- Length224 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Exciting
- Adventurous
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Peng and Spanners return for another action-packed graphic-novel case, this time facing one very bad pig. The series' appeal remains firmly intact: a silly penguin, a tool-belt-wearing cat, a villainous problem, huge amounts of visual comedy and a pace designed to keep readers flying through the pages.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–10
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny graphic novel
- Reluctant readers
- Animal duo
- Villain story
- Bunny vs monkey readalike
Avoid if
- Wants realistic stories
- Wants dense prose
- Prefers low energy reading
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
- Making friends
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A wacky robot-adventure comic series — a reluctant-reader pleaser and classroom-library staple.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific kick is the villain pig — Peng and Spanners against a properly bad pig, big visual gags and buddy-comedy pacing carrying the story past any need for subtlety. The second Peng and Spanners with a clearer antagonist.
- Animal companions
- Trickery and cleverness
- Making a difference
- Having a nemesis
Why parents love it
The Peng and Spanners sequel — villain structure giving the comic chaos a target, same loud and accessible formula. Reliable continuation.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Peng and Spanners.
4 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Steve Webb.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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