Peppa Pig a big sister again after Mummy Pig gives birth to piglet

Peppa Pig’s Mummy Pig has given birth to a new little piglet.

The cartoon character welcomed her newborn in news revealed on UK daytime show Good Morning Britain (GMB).

The show’s entertainment reporter Richard Arnold, 55, said Daddy Pig had informed him of the happy news at 5.30am GMT*, shortly before the daytime show hit British screens.

Mr Arnold then revealed the little one’s name was Evie, with the adorable character completing the Pig family.

“It brings me great joy to announce she’s here,” Mr Arnold said. “It’s a beautiful thing. Like I say, Daddy Pig has just shared these pictures with me.

“Named after Mummy Pig’s aunt Evie.”

The unborn piglet’s gender* was revealed last month. Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig were already parents to Peppa, four, and George, two.

Mummy Pig’s maternity news first came to light on GMB in February, when Mr Arnold cut live to Mummy Pig in Peppatown.

Mummy Pig said her job involved “very important work” on her computer and that her husband Daddy Pig “takes big numbers, transmutes* them and calculates their load-bearing* tangents*”.

Mummy Pig then said they were expecting another baby in the northern summer.

“Well, I’m excited to share that our family is getting even bigger because … We’re having another baby!” Mummy Pig said, as she held up a scan picture to camera for viewers to see.

Showing off her baby bump, Mummy Pig continued: “I’m due in the summer and we’re all so excited.”

She added: “A little overwhelmed at the thought of having three children under five running around, but mostly just completely delighted.”

Asked if she had already shared the news with Peppa and George, Mummy Pig replied: “Oh yes, we weren’t able to keep it a secret for long.

“Peppa knew something was going on, and she’s such a curious thing – we had to tell her before she popped!

“They’ve had the occasional wobble and worry, but they’re mostly so excited!

“Every day they ask me how big the baby is, when is it coming, does it like muddy puddles and dinosaurs … It never stops!”

Viewers can expect to see the new baby on screen in the northern autumn.

Peppa Pig first aired in 2004 and has since been broadcast in 180 territories – including Australia, where it airs on ABC Kids. It’s also been translated into 40 languages.

It has since inspired books, toys and even two theme parks, with the global Peppa empire now worth over A$2 billion.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished with permission.

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GLOSSARY

• GMT: Greenwich Mean Time, Greenwich Mean Time, at Greenwich, London, which from 1884 until 1972 was the international standard of civil time
• gender: in this context, gender refers simply to the sex of a baby at birth, being a girl or a boy or a male or female
• transmutes: changes things completely, especially into something different and better
• load-bearing: refers to how weight something can carry
• tangents: a geometric line, curve, plane or curved surface that touches another curve or surface at one point but does not intersect it

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What is the name of Peppa’s new sibling?
2. Peppa Pig has been translated into how many languages and broadcast in how many territories?
3. Peppa already had a sibling – what’s his name and how old is he on the show?
4. When did the Peppa Pig cartoon launch?
5. What is the Peppa Pig industry’s estimated worth in AUD?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Meet Evie!
Write a story that could be used for an episode of Peppa Pig. Your episode should be about the day that Peppa and George meet Evie Pig for the first time. Your story should be funny, entertaining and maybe include an adventure!

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
Do you think made up, fictional stories – like Peppa Pig’s mum having a baby – should be reported as news? Write your reasons why or why not.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.