Freddy the Pig is the central figure in a series of 26 children's books written between 1927 and 1958 by American author Walter R. Brooks and illustrated by Kurt Wiese, consisting of 25 novels and one poetry collection.
Freddy's interests drive the books as he becomes a detective, politician, newspaper editor, magician, pilot, and other vocations or avocations.
Much of the humor in the books is derived from the self-referential way in which the author acknowledges the unreality of talking animals, unlike other children's works in which they are accepted as normal.
The animals and humans do not age, although the stories reflect the social conditions at the time of writing; for example, the books published during World War II feature scrap drives and victory gardens.
At the turn of the millennium, the entire series was republished by The Overlook Press in response to plaintive requests from Freddy fans who treasure their combination of ingenious plots, well-drawn characters, literary allusions, and wholesome (but not cloying) moral lessons.
The new edition features original color illustrations by graphic artist and writer Eric Shanower, and an introduction by book reviewer Michael Cart.
Centerboro does not actually exist, nor do the other towns mentioned as being nearest (Aeschylus Center, Gomorrah Falls, South Pharisee, Plutarch Mills, and West Ninevah).
However, other towns do exist, described as slightly farther away: Syracuse, Rome, Buffalo, and Utica, New York (mentioned, for example, in Freddy and the Baseball Team From Mars).