Hello there! Welcome to a fun story from the SAG Foundation’s BookPALS Storyline Online. My name is Eric Close, and today, I’m going to share a delightful tale called “When Pigasso Met Mootisse,” written and illustrated by Nina Laden.
Once upon a time, there was a young pig named Pigasso. While other piglets loved to roll in the mud and play games, Pigasso had a special talent. He loved to paint! He painted everything he saw in a very unique way. At the same time, there was a young bull named Mootisse. Unlike other bulls who enjoyed bullfighting, Mootisse found joy in painting big, bold, and bright pictures.
Soon, everyone in the pig world heard about Pigasso’s amazing art. Pigs from all over came to see and buy his paintings. Meanwhile, Mootisse was becoming famous among the cows. Almost every cow family had a “Moosterpiece” hanging in their home. Pigasso and Mootisse were becoming art superstars! But with fame came lots of attention. Everyone wanted to meet them, from art lovers to students and historians. It was a busy time!
One day, Pigasso got tired of all the noise and said, “I need a quiet place to paint.” At the same time, Mootisse thought, “I want to find a peaceful spot away from the crowd.” So, both artists set out to find a calm place to create their art. Pigasso found a lovely farm facing the east, and Mootisse found a handsome farm facing the west.
After moving in, Pigasso decided to meet his new neighbor across the road. At the same time, Mootisse went to meet his new neighbor. And that’s how Pigasso met Mootisse, and Mootisse met Pigasso!
At first, they were friendly neighbors. But soon, they started to disagree. Pigasso didn’t like one of Mootisse’s paintings, and Mootisse made fun of Pigasso’s art. They began calling each other names like “Art Hog” and “Mad Cow.” Their playful teasing turned into a big argument, and they both stormed off to their homes.
Determined to prove their artistic skills, they started a unique battle. Mootisse painted a giant “Moosterpiece” on his house, and Pigasso created a huge “Pork of Art” on his farm. They didn’t want to see each other’s work, so they built a big wooden fence between their homes.
At first, they were happy painting alone. But soon, Pigasso missed Mootisse’s company, and Mootisse missed Pigasso’s presence. They realized that they appreciated each other’s art. Instead of talking, they let their paintbrushes do the talking. Pigasso painted on one side of the fence, and Mootisse painted on the other. When they finished, they were curious to see each other’s work.
They ran to see what the other had painted and burst into laughter at their amazing artwork. From that day on, Pigasso and Mootisse became great friends. They took down the fence and shared their different views.
A few months later, a big museum bought the fence. Pigasso named his side “When Pigasso Met Mootisse,” and Mootisse called his side “When Mootisse Met Pigasso.” Everyone thought it was incredible!
In real life, Picasso and Matisse were not a pig and a bull. They were two of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. If you ever get the chance, visit a museum to see their beautiful paintings. I think you’ll love them!
Thanks for listening to this wonderful story!
Art Exploration Walk: Take a walk around your neighborhood or a local park with a family member. Look for different colors, shapes, and patterns in nature. Bring a small notebook and some colored pencils. Try to draw something you see in your own unique style, just like Pigasso and Mootisse did. When you get home, share your artwork with your family and talk about what you liked about your drawing.
Color Mixing Experiment: Gather some basic paint colors like red, blue, and yellow. Use a palette or a paper plate to mix these colors and create new ones. What happens when you mix red and blue? How about yellow and blue? Try to create a color that you think Pigasso or Mootisse would love to use in their paintings. Share your new colors with a friend or family member and explain how you made them.
Storytelling Through Art: Think about a story you would like to tell through a picture. It could be about a fun day you had, a dream you remember, or an imaginary adventure. Use crayons, markers, or paints to create your artwork. Once you’re done, share your picture with someone and tell them the story behind it. Ask them what they see in your art and if it reminds them of anything.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, welcome to the SAG Foundation’s BookPALS Storyline Online. My name is Eric Close, and today, I’m going to be reading “When Pigasso Met Mootisse,” written and illustrated by Nina Laden.
There once was a young pig named Pigasso. While the other piglets rolled in the mud and played games, Pigasso painted. He painted anything and everything, and in a most unusual way. At the same time, there was a young bull named Mootisse. Mootisse was not like the other bulls; he wasn’t interested in bull fighting. Mootisse was happy only when he painted pictures, and he painted big, bold, bright pictures.
In time, word of Pigasso’s talent spread throughout the pig provinces. Soon, art-loving pigs from all over lined up to buy his creations. At the same time, Mootisse was gaining fame in the cattle community. There weren’t many households that didn’t own a “Moosterpiece.” Pigasso and Mootisse were becoming art superstars. But this came with a price. Everybody wanted to see them: art buyers, art sellers, art students, art historians, and art enthusiasts. It was an art frenzy!
One day, Pigasso got fed up and said, “I’m tired of this noisy pig pen.” At the same time, Mootisse declared, “I’m sick of this crowded cow town.” Needing a change, they both decided to look for a peaceful place where they could paint without distractions. So each of the two artists looked far and wide for the perfect spot. Pigasso found a lovely farm looking towards the east, while Mootisse found a handsome farm facing the west.
After Pigasso moved in, he went to introduce himself to his new neighbor across the road. At the same time, Mootisse went to introduce himself to his new neighbor across the road. That is how Pigasso met Mootisse. And coincidentally, that is how Mootisse met Pigasso.
At first, Pigasso and Mootisse were friendly and welcomed each other as neighbors. But soon, things began to change. It started one day when Pigasso criticized one of Mootisse’s paintings. Then Mootisse made fun of one of Pigasso’s. Mootisse called Pigasso an “Art Hog.” Then Pigasso called Mootisse a “Mad Cow.” Mootisse quipped, “You paint like a toddler.” Pigasso retorted, “You paint like a wild beast.” Mootisse exclaimed, “Your colors look like mud.” Pigasso shot back, “Your paintings look like color-by-numbers!”
Then things got really out of hand. It was a modern art mess. Pigasso stormed off into his house, thinking, “That Mootisse doesn’t like my art. Well, I’ll show him.” And Mootisse stomped into his house, thinking, “I’ll give that Pigasso something he can really criticize.”
Then a full-scale feud erupted, but it was a most unusual battle. Armed with ladders and buckets of paint, Mootisse launched the first attack. He started at dawn, and by the end of the evening, he had transformed the outside of his house into a monster-sized “Moosterpiece.” Not to be outdone, Pigasso fired up his paint brushes and, in full view of the enemy, counter-attacked. He turned his farm into a huge and outrageous “Pork of Art.”
The two artists then retreated into their houses and pulled down the shades. Pigasso certainly didn’t want to look out his window and see a “Mootisse.” And Mootisse had no desire to give his rooms a view of a “Pigasso.” This presented a problem, and there seemed to be only one solution. Without a word to each other, Pigasso and Mootisse each began to build a huge wooden fence down the middle of their road.
At first, Pigasso and Mootisse seemed satisfied. Both artists went back to painting by themselves. But after a while, Pigasso was surprised to find that he missed that bull-headed Mootisse. At the same time, Mootisse found his studio empty without the presence of pig-headed Pigasso. Pigasso pondered, “That Mootisse isn’t such a bad artist. He has some interesting ideas.” Mootisse thought, “That Pigasso may not paint like me, but he knows what he’s doing.”
However, being naturally pig-headed and bull-headed, neither artist knew how to apologize to the other. So they did what they do best: they let their paint brushes do the talking. Pigasso painted on one side of the fence, and Mootisse painted on the other. Each worked until they were exhausted. It was strangely quiet when they were done.
Then, curious to see what Mootisse had been doing, Pigasso sprinted around to the other side. At the same time, Mootisse galloped over to Pigasso’s side. The silence was broken as the two artists began laughing at their amazing work of art. From that day on, Pigasso and Mootisse became great friends. They happily took down the fence and shared their different views.
A few months later, a big museum bought the fence. Pigasso called his side: “When Pigasso Met Mootisse.” Mootisse called his side: “When Mootisse Met Pigasso.” The critics called it “Incredible.”
Now, Picasso and Matisse weren’t actually a pig and a bull; they were really two of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. When you get the chance, I really encourage you to go and check out their paintings in a museum. They are beautiful, and I think you’ll love them. Thanks for listening.
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This version maintains the essence of the story while removing any potentially inappropriate language.
