It's A Bird! It's a Plane! It's SPACE CHICKEN! Chicken in Space by Adam Lehrhaupt

ZOEY WASN'T LIKE THE OTHER CHICKENS. SHE HAD DREAMS.

SHE HAD PLANS.

Clearly Zoey's eyes are on the skies. With a tiny satellite dish atop her space helmet, she is ready for launch.

Well, not exactly. There are plenty of naysayers among her peers.

Henry the napping hound yawns and opens his sleepy eyes.

"I HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE RIGHT HERE."

Pip the mouse is intimidated.

"SOUNDS DANGEROUS!"

"NOT DANGEROUS!" SAID ZOEY. "AN ADVENTURE!"

Clara the cow points out that Zoey has no space ship. But to the ebullient Zoey, that's just an opportunity!

She grabs an empty basket in the barnyard, and caught in an apple tree she spots a bunch of helium balloons.

"ZOEY ALWAYS FINDS A WAY!" SAID SAM THE PIG.

Sam has some reservations about leaving for outer space before lunch, but with pie in the back of his mind, he parks his trotters in the gondola of  Zoey's spacecraft and they cast off for the stars. Their capsule rises above the trees.

The view from space IS spectacular! Spread out below them are the farm fields and the baseball field, a game in progress. A pop fly sails by.

"AN ASTEROID!"

Sam warns Zoey to steer away from a loose kite soaring by.

"A COMET!"

But even when an attack of aliens (a.k.a., a flock of crows) proves the downfall of Zoey's space mission, Zoey proclaims their sudden touchdown in a truckload of corn to be a perfect landing and presents Sam with an appropriate reward.

A MOON PIE!

But while taking a bow to her public, the opportunistic Zoey is already eyeing an open sea chest in the corner of the barn, with an intriguing pirate hat and scimitar inside, in Adam Lehrhaupt's Chicken in Space (HarperCollins, 2016), and while Clara the cow may declare Zoey a bit spacey, youngsters will be happy to follow her into more adventures. You can't keep a good chicken down, and Zoey is one chicken who is sure to rise to the occasion.

Much of the fun of this story comes from the clever illustrations of artist Shahar Kober, who zooms in on Zooey's prosaic barnyard buddies and zooms out for some eye-catching perspectives from our heroine's voyage to outer space. No need to worry that youngsters may be lured by this fanciful tale into ill-conceived space flights; author Lehrhaupt makes it clear that Zoey is all too aware that hers is mostly a jolly flight of fancy, the sort of game of "play like..." that kids love. "A fun story for inspiring positive thinking, problem-solving, and old-fashioned imaginative play," says School Library Journal.

We! We! We!: Pigs and a Blanket by James Burks

"I love my blanket so much!" says Sister Pig.

"I love my blanket soooooo much!" says Brother Pig.

It's just a green blanket, one they've always had, but these piggie siblings are very possessive about it.

Sister Pig loves its warm smell; she loves the way she can use it to make a private tent where she can be alone to read.

Brother Pig loves it for its cozy feel; he loves the way he can use it to make a comfy cave where he can be alone to draw.

When they read or draw, there's plenty of green blanket for both of them.

But that's not always the case.

"I love to dance with my blanket," says Sister.

"I love to play a superhero with my blanket," says Brother.

Dancing with a frilly veil and flying through the air with a flowing cape are more or less mutually exclusive activities. And when Sister Pig and Brother Pig try to take control of the blanket, they get angry! Then something happens!

RRRIIIPPPP!

Their big green blanket is reduced to two ragged fragments! Brother and Sister Pig stare at each other with horror! This is not what they meant to happen! Each tries playing separately with their pieces of the blanket, but it's not the same!

"Least said, soonest mended," goes the old proverb, and these two siblings hurry to make amends between them and mend their rent-apart blanket, in James Burk's brand-new Pigs and a Blanket (Hyperion Books, 2016). Some things are better shared, as the two piggies decide, in this little story that shows the old truth that fighting over a favorite plaything often spoils the play AND the thing itself in the fray. Burk's parallel speech patterns and childlike illustrations work together to put over this simple but universal little parable of share-and-share-alike. "A charmer," says Kirkus Reviews.

Pair and share this one with Anna Dewdney's insightful story, Llama Llama Time to Share (Read review here.)

Over the Waves! Rufus Goes to Sea by Kim Griswell

RUFUS LEROY WILLIAMS LOVED GOING TO SCHOOL

But school is out for the summer. So Rufus turns to his other love--READING!

Rufus starts his summer reading with a book called Pirates, and suddenly he knows how he wants to spend his summer vacation! Rufus wants to be a pirate.

But first Rufus has to find a berth on a corsair's ship flying the skull and crossbones.

But when he approaches the first old sea dog he sees down at the dock, first mate Scratchwhiskers, he gets a cold reception. And the peg-legged captain can't see any purpose in signing on a pig as a pirate.

"NO PIGS ON PIRATE SHIPS!" BELLOWED CAPTAIN WIBBLYSHINS.

"PIGS PLAY ON POOP DECKS! THEY PICNIC FROM THE CROW'S NESTS.

AND THEY WIPE THEIR CHINS ON THE JOLLY ROGER!"

It seems that there's plenty of prejudice against pigs among pirates. But Rufus is a plucky and notably persistent pirate-wannabe pig, so he tries getting into the appropriate pirate gear, appearing in an eye patch, in a proper pirate's hat, and with a mop and bucket to swab the decks. Cap'n Wibblyshins is unimpressed, declaring the pirate he needs has to have special skills.

Rufus Leroy Williams reaches into his sea bag and haul out his book.

"I HAVE THIS!" HE SAID.

Suddenly the old Captain's beady eyes brighten.

"YOU CAN READ? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO!"

It's seems there's a paucity of literacy aboard Wibblyshin's ship, and Rufus Leroy Williams is named their Reading Pig and tasked with reading the crew all of their treasure maps. Anchors aweigh! It's time to hoist sail, to "Avast, all ye hardies!" and have some serious treasure-hunting on the bounding main. Rufus has his summer adventure, and with his map-reading, the buccaneers have a successful voyage with plenty of treasure trunks to dig up on the beach of their own Treasure Island.

X doesn't mark the spot for a booty of golden doubloons in Kim Griswell's latest, Rufus Goes to Sea (Sterling, 2015), but with the help of skillful visual foreshadowing by artist Valeri Gorbachev, young readers won't be totally surprised when the mariners discover something even better in their excavated treasure troves. Gorbachev, the best American illustrator with a Soviet dictator for a father, offers comic artwork which keeps the giggles coming, and Griswell's Rufus is just as plucky and endearing a pig as he was in his first outing, Rufus Goes to School. (See my 2013 review here.)

". . . a marvelous paean to the joy and power of reading," says School Library Journal.

Count on It! Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson

ONE PIG,

ONE VERY HAPPY PIG.

THIS BATHTUB IS PERFECT

FOR JUST YOU AND ME!

It's shiny, and slippery, and sudsy, and just the right size for one pink pig and his little rubber ducky.

Ahhh! he settles down, neck deep in the warm bubble bath and closes his eyes.

But then Pig Two suddenly shows up, ready to hit the suds.

TWO? TWO??

THIS TUB IS TOO SMALL

FOR A DUCK, TWO PIGS,

AND A BOUNCY BEACH BALL!

And the pigs keep counting up, along with their gear. First a pig in swim fins, one in a pirate hat, then a pig tooting a tuba, and one launching his big boat. The pigs count up, the bubbles pop and the bath water slops. Pig Eight brings a sand castle, while Pig Nine wedges himself into the suds with his fly rod and bait.

Is there always room for one more? It's a big pig cram-jam as Pig Ten and his surf board get ready to hang ten!. Surf's up?

TEN pigs in a tub? But before an all-out water fight begins, one pig spots something coming, and it's not Pig Eleven!

WHAT'S THAT?

In a hurry and a flurry the tub empties as pigs peel out, 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2...., and scurry away, page right. What do they see?

ONE WOLF!

Savvy youngsters will spy the zipper down the front of that wolf suit and guess just which pig is inside, in Derek Anderson's jolly new counting book, Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure (Orchard Books, 2015). Comic critters and rollicking rhymes are author-illustrator Anderson's specialty, and this pink, impolite, and portly porker tale is no exception. Even the rubber ducky's eyes help tell the story, right up the the happy ending, when the "wolf" settles back down in his bath, just the right size for ONE PIG and his yellow floaty pal.

Growing Greens: Peppa Pig and the Vegetable Garden

"WHAT HAPPENS TO SEEDS, GRANDPA?"

"THEY GROW INTO PLANTS!"

Peppa Pig and her little brother George are playing at Grandpa and Granny Pig's house when they notice that Grandpa is pulling out some tools and digging in the grass. Curious, they come over and watch as Grandpa explains that he's digging a vegetable garden and that if they plant seeds and water and weed  them, they will soon have delicious vegetables to eat.

Dig and delve, dig and delve! Kids love to dig holes, and who better to dig a garden than a family of pigs! Mummy and Daddy arrive and get into the act, too, laying out rows.  Peppa specializes in dropping the seeds into the holes they dig, and George discovers that there are some creatures already living there--a wiggly worm, which the kids have to imitate, and a snail with stalky eyes and  what looks like a basket on his back!

"MON-STA!" CRIES GEORGE.

Peppa finishes planting the seeds and Grandpa points out that the butterflies will help make the plants grow well.   But Peppa is worried.  She doesn't see anything coming up. Grandpa laughs and tells her she needs something special to be a gardener--patience!  And when a flock of birds land in the garden and start pecking around, Granny points out something else they need right away--a scarecrow--and making and dressing one is just the job for George and Peppa!

For youngsters who aren't quite sure where fruits and vegetable come from before the supermarket, Peppa Pig and the Vegetable Garden (Candlewick Press, 2014) is a spring-y entry into the concept of garden-to-table for preschoolers. Simple, stylized illustrations show Peppa and George digging, seeding, picking berries for a pie, and even offer directions for using the various veggie shapes into a dino salad with cucumber halves for jaws, just for  the salad-averse George. For fans of Peppa's television series, this easy-going entry into family backyard gardening is a sweet springtime read for planting time.

Consumer Reports: The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague

When the fickle finger of fate causes three pig siblings to lose their jobs,  the farmer, retiring to Florida, gives them severance pay and sends them out to seek their fortunes.

"LET'S BUY POTATO CHIPS," SAID THE FIRST PIG.

"LET'S BUY SODY-POP," SAID THE SECOND PIG.

"LET'S BUY BUILDING SUPPLIES," SAID THE THIRD PIG.

The third sibling, a rather prissy and practical girl pig, is obviously focused on long-term goals, while her lazy brothers just want to feed their faces.

The three pigs part company to follow their bliss.  The practical pig heads for the home improvement store and spends her money on bricks and other durable building materials and soon is busy with bricklaying and gardening chores. The other two pigs settle for the fairy tale version of shacks, building their domiciles from dirt-cheap straw and sticks.

Everybody's happy, until a somewhat bad and very hungry wolf blows into town. Denied service at Do-Nut Dan's, Hot Dog Hal's, and Pete's Pizza Parlor, Wolfie decides he'll have to find food on the hoof, er, trotter. The two lazy sods scarfing down chips and soda look like easy marks, so he does the Huff 'n' Puff thing on their down-market dwellings.  It's instant domicile devastation!

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WORKS!" THE WOLF SAID.

But when the two pigs flee to their more provident sister's house,the now very, very hungry wolf follows to the third piggy-scented house. This one is solid and somewhat intimidating, even to a wolf of proven windiness. He decides to try their doorbell first, but when they refuse to answer, he falls back on huffing and puffing--all to no avail on this up-scale residence.

"DO YOU THINK HE'S STILL THERE?" SAID ONE PIG.

THE THEE PIGS LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW THE WOLF COLLAPSED ON THE LAWN.

"LOOK AT THE POOR GUY," SAID THE LAZY PIGS.

"MAYBE HE NEEDS SOME POTATO CHIPS," SAID THE FIRST PIG. "MAYBE HE NEEDS SOME SODY POP," SAID THE SECOND PIG.

"NEVER MIND THAT STUFF," SAID THE THIRD PIG. "DINNER IS ALMOST READY."

There's more than one way to win over a wolf in Mark Teague's new fractured fairy tale version of the classic, titled The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf (Orchard Books, 2013).His tongue-in-cheek text is set off perfectly with Teague's trademark comic illustrations, with plenty of clever visual jokes for the sharp-eyed reader, including the farmer's cat, duck, and goose who are also squatters at the practical pig's house. Teague's frequent shifts in perspective keep the familiar story line moving along in this twist on the old tale in which the wolf becomes a well-fed member of the pig household, happy and no longer hungry ever after.

An "entertaining and refreshing adaptation of the classic tale," says Publishers Weekly. But if kids still haven't gotten their fill of fractured fare, add a side dish of Lane Smith's award-winning The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and Eugene Trivizas' The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig for a trio of tasty rib-sticking, rib-tickling spoofs of the classics.

The Incredible Journey: The Adventures of a South Pole Pig by Chris Kurtz

"Mom, why do we have to live in a cage?" Flora dug in the dirt at something hard and rusty.

"Honey, don't do that," her mother nosed her away. "And it's not a cage. It's a pigpen."

"Same thing," said Flora under her breath.

Flora loves her mom and her piglet brothers, but she knows she’s not like them. ”If it’’s unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I’m your pig,” is her motto, and when this self-proclaimed adventurer piglet makes a short-lived escape from the pigpen, she is inspired by the sight of sled dogs in training, led by the dedicated Oscar, born to pull. Flora is a pig who wants to pull, too, and following Oscar becomes her plan.

Flora begins to train for the job as best she can in a pigpen, and when a man with a crate appears, apparently determined to capture one piglet, she sees this as her chance to embrace adventure. Her trip on a truck with Oscar and the other sled dog trainees winds up on a dock, where she meets a cat named Sophia, whose job is rat-killing and whose personal style is supercilious. Flora, however, is sure she is destined to be the first pig to pull a sled in an Antarctic expedition.

But Flora finds herself, along with the shanghaied Sophia, below deck in the hold. Sophia at least has a job, disagreeable as it is, trying to do away with the huge rat population aboard ship, but Flora finds herself chained to a crate in the dark, where she is at least well-fed by Amos, the ship’s cook, who inexplicably calls her  “my pretty porkchop.” Still, Flora’s hopes are high, and she continues to train, building up her strength by dragging the crate to which she is chained and assisting the overmatched Sophia by using her sharp hind hooves to kill the rats who take her slops from right under her snout.

And Flora’s strong legs save her bacon when the ship strikes an iceberg and begins to sink. She becomes the hero of the shipwreck when she pulls the injured captain out of the flooding hold and up onto deck. The remnant of the rescued crew, friendly cabin boy Aleric, and the surviving Sophia find themselves marooned on the Antarctic coast with few supplies. It is only then that Sophia and Oscar explain to Flora that her intended role on this expedition is to provide meat for the crew. Oscar and Sophia hide Sophia in a secret snow cave to keep her from becoming survival rations, and Flora almost despairs of her fate. The few able-bodied seaman fashion a sled from their lifeboat and set out for the food cache stored by an earlier expedition, leaving Flora behind with Aleric, the injured captain, and the ailing Oscar.

But when it looks as if the crew’s mission must have failed, Aleric mounts his own expedition. Fashioning a sort of sled from barrels staves and crates for the captain, and with himself and the weakened Oscar pulling, they set out to find the stored food themselves, and soon Sophia and Flora determine to follow. Flora is sure that Aleric and Oscar need her help, and the plucky pig is sure she’s just the puller the team needs to make it to the supplies.

Christopher Kurtz’s just published The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A Novel of Snow and Courage is a marvelous little adventure with as much spirit and heart as its heroine hog. Flora proves that pulling is a participatory sport and that a pig can be an important part of the team with all the pluck and loyalty that a proper heroine needs to have.

Kurtz’ storytelling is flawless, and Jennifer Black Reinhardt’s pen-and-ink illustrations capture the comic insouciance of this be-snouted star perfectly. Back up, Babe; move over, Mercy Watson; and watch out, Wilbur. There’s a new preferred porcine protagonist in town, a new heroine in the pig pantheon who has found her place in the adventurous life she dreamed of back on the farm. As Flora sails forth, feet planted firmly on the bow, her tail flying, and her snout to the wind, we just know that more incredible journeys lie ahead.

Three Dojo Dudes! Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz

ONE UPON A DANGEROUS TIME
A WOLF LOVED TO HUFF AND PUFF.
HE'D GO AROUND THE TOWN.
AND BLOW HOUSES DOWN.
TILL THREE LITTLE PIGS CRIED, "ENOUGH!"

Luckily, these are three little pigs of Nippon, so instead of leaving home to seek their fortunes, they head out to the local dojo to learn some martial arts.

The first little pig chooses aikido. and masters a few militant moves, but getting bored, he moves on to build his own little thatched hut, sure that he can take on any mangy marauder. The second little pig selects a second type of martial art, jujitsu, "KIYA!," he calls, as he concludes he now knows quite enough to kayo any wolf that comes down the pike.

"BUT, PIG-SAN, YOU MUST STUDY MORE," THE MASTERS SAY.

But it's Sayonara, Sensei! as the second little pig becomes another dojo dropout, and settles down in his comfy little stick-built house.

The third little pig is more perseverant. She stays in karate school until she becomes herself a master of all the moves.

BY THE TIME SHE WAS THROUGH,
SHE COULD BREAK BOARDS IN TWO
BY PERFORMING A PERFECT PORK CHOP!

Confident in her karate skills, she builds herself a sturdy brick hog home and settles down. But before she can even invite her brothers over for a cup of swill, the Wolf decides it's time to pester pigs again.

The first two pigs face him bravely, but find that they are somewhat lacking!

YO, BACON!" HE HOLLERS.

The imperfectly prepped pigs are soon., shall we say, "blown away" by the Wolf.

"PIGGONE! I WISH I HAD BEEN MORE PREPARED!"

And in the best tradition of this familiar story, it's all up to the third little pig, who quickly teaches the Big Bad Wolf not to mess with a pig in a gi!

Corey Schwartz' fractured fairy tale, The Three Ninja Pigs (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2012) is an unique re-telling of this traditional oft-told tale with an original setting, done up in limerick verses that kids will love. Inventive artist Dan Santat contributes another set of his unique cartoon-styled illustrations that keep the plot moving along until the ninja pig knocks off that pesky predator and provides him with a well-deserved comeuppance.

THREE PIGS FOLLOW THEIR OWN MOJO,
THEY RAN THEIR OWN DOJO...

And presumably live happily ever after.

Nice on Ice: Dream Big, Little Pig by Kristi Yamaguchi

POPPY WAS A PIG WITH DREAMS

SHE WANTED TO BE A STAR.

Poppy is perky and Poppy is perpetually optimistic, but she could use a bit of career counseling.

Despite the fact that she's a "pot-bellied, waddling, toddling pig" of unquestionably portly proportions, she persists in her dream of performing in the public eye. First she fixates on a career as a ballerina. Her parents and grandparents cheer her on, but her teacher catches her on to her clumsiness right away and dismisses her with a brisk "Dancing is NOT for you!"

Undaunted, Poppy proceeds to try for stardom as a glamorous chanteuse, with similar results. And then, in a career choice which really plays against type, Poppy turns to dreams of being a glitzy, high-fashion runway model in, ahem, New Pork City. That one's a show-stopper, too, but not in the way Poppy hoped.

But you have to give Poppy points for perseverance. This time she turns to figure skating.

I'D LIKE TO BE A SPECTACULAR ICE-SKATING STAR!"

And in the best tradition of that Liitle Engine That Could and all those "I'm gonna to be a star," show biz movies, persistance and practice makes, if not "perfect," at least pretty good, and after many falls and failures, Poppy gets her moment in the spotlight, swirling and twirling to the cheers of the crowd, including her supportive family and friends. Kristi Yamaguchi's top-selling Dream Big, Little Pig! (Jabberwocky, 2011) is an appealing little picture book pointing to an alternate path for those aspiring stars who find ballet just a bit, um, too-too, and vamping it up on stage or on the runway just not their style. To steal a quote, "Ice is nice and will suffice."

No Stone Unturned: Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer

IT WAS TIME FOR SPRING VACATION.

OLIVIA DECIDED THAT SHE AND HER FAMILY OUGHT TO SPEND A FEW DAYS IN VENICE.

"OLIVIA, YOU WON'T BE NEEDING YOUR SNORKEL," SAID HER MOTHER. "OR YOUR FLIPPERS."

"MOTHER, APPARENTLY THE CITY IS OFTEN UNDER WATER AND..."

"OR YOUR WATER SKIS"

Olivia quickly packs up a valise full of her trademark red-and-white-striped dresses. And airport security wands are just another novel adventure for the extroverted Olivia.

AS THEY WENT THROUGH THE AIRPORT, OLIVIA WAS SEARCHED FOR WEAPONS. SHE WAS VERY PLEASED.

In Venice Olivia is in her element. She tours palazzos, feeds the sky-darkening flocks of pigeons in the Piazza San Marco in an hilarious parody of Hitchcock's The Birds, and after getting a snoutful of the Old World charm of the city, soothes her overwhelmed senses with multiple gelatos--so many in fact that the, er, enhanced family nearly swamps their gondola when they see the city by water from the Grand Canal.

"TOURISTS!" MUTTERED THE GONDOLIER. "TOO MANY GELATOS!"

And then it's their last day. Olivia's family has visited all the touted tourist traps in town, and they go back to the Piazza to soak up the scene one last time. But Olivia isn't content with just photos to remember her trip by.

"I MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO REMEMBER VENICE BY. I MUST FIND THE PERFECT SOUVENIR."

Perfume? Olivia hates perfume. Lace? Not very Olivian. Olivia finds nothing among the touristy shops to capture the essence of Venizia. At last she returns proudly to her parents, sipping their espressos, with something heavy in hand.

"ONE OF THE STONES OF VENICE!" SHE EXULTS.

"OLIVIA!!!" SCOLDED HER MOTHER. "IF EVERYONE TOOK A PIECE OF VENICE WITH THEM, THE CITY WOULD FALL DOWN!"

Mother's warning is prophetic. Olivia, who as we know can do nothing in a small way, has apparently chosen the very stone from the bell tower that has kept it upright all these centuries, and as the horrified parents gather up Olivia and her brothers and flee the Piazza, we see the tower crack and crumble and collapse behind them, to the amazement of the sightseers all around. Olivia has definitely left her mark on St. Mark's Square, and Venice will never be the same again!

Ian Falconer's new Olivia Goes to Venice (Atheneum, 2010) succeeds on several levels. It's pure Olivia, brash, self-confident, and always on stage, and to show her off, Falconer sets his detailed and stylized charcoal and gouache drawings boldly against picturesque color photos of the beautiful Venetian landscape. Wry humor turns this tale from a travelogue to a giggle fest of a Grand Tour for the picture book set.

Piggy 1-2-3: Piggy Pie Po by Audrey and Don Wood

PIGGY PIE PO IS SO SMART,
HE CAN DO THE FINEST ART.

EVERY BOOK UPON HIS SHELF
HE CAN READ ALL BY HIMSELF.

FOR A PENNY HE WILL SPELL
PISTACHIO AND PIMPERNEL.

BUT THERE'S ONE THING HE CAN'T DO...
PIGGY PIE CAN'T TIE HIS SHOE
--YET!

Piggy Pie Po is a talented and yet imperfect pig. He's still got a few things to learn, like, well, manners, as when as a dinner guest he arrives a little early and helps himself to some lemon pie, leaving only crumbs and dribbles behind, leaves piggy footprints across the elegant three-layer cake, and ends with the pea soup tureen inverted upon his head. But then Piggy encounters a delectable-looking garnish, and suddenly the punishment fits the perpetrator.

HE ATE A PEPPER
SO HOT! SO RED!

HE RAN STRAIGHT HOME...
AND WENT TO BED.

A brand-new Audrey and Don Wood collaboration is an event to be celebrated. Their beloved The Napping House has become a preschool classic, and their latest, Piggy Pie Po (Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin, 2010), forthcoming in mid-September, joins such preschool and primary grade picture-book staples as Alphabet Adventure, their Caldecott book King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, Heckedy Peg, (A Voyager/Hbj Book) and Piggies among the pair's hits. In this new one Piggy Pie Po himself is the whole show, drawn super-size, as befits a proper piggy personality, and spotted center stage against bright-white backgrounds. A personable but fairly pig-like porker, Piggy parades through three short vignettes in full dress or clad only in bath time bubbles, snorkeling with tropical fishes, beating his congo drum, or decimating the culinary delights at a dinner party in Audrey and Donald Wood's lively water-colored drawings. Audrey Wood's talent for jaunty rhyming couplets, with just a touch of alliterative spice, keeps the story jouncing jollily along on a ride that will keep young listeners or beginning readers engaged until Piggy finally comes to his justly repentant and mortified rest in his own little bed.

Where There's a Will(ems)....: Can I Play, Too? by Mo Willems

Gerald the elephant and his sidekick Piggie are all set to play catch, until they get a puzzling request from a passerby:

"EXCUSE ME," SAYS A LITTLE GREEN SNAKE. "CAN I PLAY TOO?"

Piggie and Gerald are consternated, exchanging bewildered looks.

Snake is hurt at their hesitancy.

"YOU DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH ME?"

The two friends are even more bemused. Finally, Piggie patiently explains that they are just about to play catch, and for that you need, well ... ARMS!

No ARMS?" snake replies in mock dismay.

"HEE HEE! HA HA! HEE HEE! HA HA!

I'M A SNAKE! I KNOW I DON'T HAVE ARMS!"

"YOU ARE A FUNNY SNAKE," SAYS PIGGIE.

Gerald and Piggie relax, happy that they are not guilty of being politically incorrect by mentioning a delicate subject, and Snake insists that he get a try-out for the catch team. But all of the experiments--with one ball, with Piggie and Gerald each pitching, and with all the balls they can come up with simultaneously--end with Snake getting bonked on the head. Snake hangs his head, realizing that he really can't play this game their way.

But then Piggie, true to the ideal of friendship, comes through with an alternative plan.

"WE WILL ALL PLAY CATCH!" SHE DECLARES.

And she is right. Gerald pitches Snake and Piggie catches him. Everyone plays and Snake has... a ball!

The multiple-award winning Mo Willems proves once more that his well of sly and wry sophisticated wit hasn't run dry in this recent addition to his lauded early reader series Elephant and Piggie with Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Hyperion, 2010). What can you say about these books that hasn't already been said? The text is so accessible and yet so meaningful, and the illustrations, simple-lined cartoons in a primary palette, are so subtly expressive of human emotion that even adults find them subtly humorous. No emergent reader should miss this newest Elephant and Piggie easy reader.

Porker in Pink: Mercy Watson, Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo

Mercy Watson, the world's most pampered pig, is back for Halloween in her funniest adventure yet in the beginning chapter series by Newbery author Kate DiCamillo.

At first Mercy is underwhelmed by the too tight pink princess gown and the ear-pinching tiara that Mr. and Mrs. Watson procure for her, but when she finds out about the treats, visions of hot buttered toast dance in Mercy's head, and she slips into her frou-frou-ish frock in a flash and is off to trick-or-treat. "A porcine vision!" proclaims Mrs. Watson.

Of course, her first doorbell is that belonging to the spinster Lincoln sisters, supercilious Eugenia and her kinder, gentler sibling Baby.

"She looks just like a princess," gushes Baby.

"She looks just like a pig in a cheap dress," sneers Eugenia.

Baby sneaks Mercy into the kitchen for some Butter Barrel treats, where Mercy unfortunately encounters the Lincoln's cat General Washington, and the chase is on. With the Watsons in their holiday getups and the Lincoln sisters in full pursuit behind them, trick-or-treaters Stella and Frank think it's a Halloween parade and follow at full speed. It's a chain reaction rear-ender as all of them arrive just as General Washington gets himself stuck high in the top of a suitably spooky tree.

As usual, firemen Ned and Lorenzo and their long ladder are summoned to the rescue, which, as usual, gives Mrs. Watson a great idea. "We should have a party!" she exclaims joyfully. Fireman Ned urges little Stella and Frank to join the celebration. "You're in for a treat," he tells them. "The toast here is excellent."

Although her princess gown is still too tight, Mercy is content. "Bread was toasting; butter was melting.... It was worth it."

In Mercy Watson, Princess in Disguise Kate DiCamillo is in her finest comic form, and Chris Van Dusen's illustrations are the best yet.