What books are similar to A Perfect Pork Stew?

The 10 closest matches to A Perfect Pork Stew by Paul Brett Johnson on ReadingList include The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down, Heckedy Peg, Piggie Pie!, Smoky Mountain Rose, and Soap! Soap! Don’t Forget the Soap!. Each is scored on shared themes (witches, baba yaga (legendary character), and pigs, fiction), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like A Perfect Pork Stew reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like A Perfect Pork Stew

If you liked A Perfect Pork Stew, read The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down, Heckedy Peg, or Piggie Pie! — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like A Perfect Pork Stew by Paul Brett Johnson (Fairy Tale/Folklore · grades K–3)? It’s most often read for its themes of witches, baba yaga (legendary character), and pigs, fiction. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades K–3 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Downgrades K–3: Is by Paul Brett Johnson, the same author, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Heckedy Peggrades K–3: Shares themes of witches, same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Piggie Pie!grades 3–5: Shares themes of witches, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Smoky Mountain Rosegrades 3–5: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore), and overlapping grades (3–5). Amazon → books like this →
Soap! Soap! Don’t Forget the Soap!grades K–3: Same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
The Legend of Mackinac Islandgrades 2–8: Same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
The Rough-Face Girlgrades K–3: Same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Zomo the Rabbitgrades K–3: Same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Basketgrades K–3: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →
Don't Need Friendsgrades K–2: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (1990s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like A Perfect Pork Stew for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Many Moons by James Thurber · grades K–3 — Same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore) and overlapping grades (K–3).
My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza · grades K–3 — Shares themes of pigs, fiction and overlapping grades (K–3).
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).
Piggins by Jane Yolen · grades K–3 — Shares themes of pigs, fiction and overlapping grades (K–3).

Books like A Perfect Pork Stew for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore) and the same era (1990s).
Bob and Jack: A Boy and His Yak by Jeffrey Moss · grades 4–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list and the same era (1990s).
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers · grades 4–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list and the same era (1990s).
Christopher Changes His Name by Itah Sadu · grades 4–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list and the same era (1990s).
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (1990s).

Books like A Perfect Pork Stew for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka · grades 4–8 — Same genre (Fairy Tale/Folklore) and the same era (1990s).
Bob and Jack: A Boy and His Yak by Jeffrey Moss · grades 4–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list and the same era (1990s).
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers · grades 4–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list and the same era (1990s).
Christopher Changes His Name by Itah Sadu · grades 4–8 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list and the same era (1990s).
Monster by Walter Dean Myers · 670L — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list and the same era (1990s).

Common questions

What books are similar to A Perfect Pork Stew?: The 10 closest matches to A Perfect Pork Stew by Paul Brett Johnson on ReadingList include The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down, Heckedy Peg, Piggie Pie!, Smoky Mountain Rose, and Soap! Soap! Don’t Forget the Soap!. Each is scored on shared themes (witches, baba yaga (legendary character), and pigs, fiction), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like A Perfect Pork Stew reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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