A Pig in the Palace

September 14, 2020
Chaos ensues when a wild boar dines at a palace in this slapstick social comedy by Bahrampour (Otto: The Story of a Mirror). Flea-ridden and hairy, mud-loving Bobo is “a lone boar who kept to himself in the forest.” “Why me?” he wonders upon receiving an invitation to meet the queen. Nerves set in (“Could he pick up a glass with his hooves?”), and things begin going wrong immediately: Bobo oversleeps, realizes too late that he should have worn clothing, and can’t help but wreak havoc at the castle. In Bahrampour’s action-filled pen, ink, and watercolor scenes, vases are accidentally broken, glasses are spilled, and Bobo is soon “hot-hoof”ing it through the architecturally detailed castle with guards in pursuit. Mayhem swells when Bobo slips on a pat of butter, crashing into plate-laden palace waiters and coming to a messy stop at the foot of the queen, whose identity has thus far remained a mystery. “Who made this mess?” she screams, and things look dire for hapless Bobo. Luckily, what occurs next offers a twist wholly befitting this madcap tale—a royally silly story of how sometimes when everything seems to be going wrong, it’s actually just right. Ages 4–8. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

September 1, 2020
An invitation to the palace causes a piggy pickle. Bobo the warthog is happily rolling in the mud floor of his hollow tree home when he gets a surprise: an invitation to dinner with the new queen. Certain it's a mistake--he's usually covered with mud and fleas--he lies awake all night worrying he won't fit in. In the limo the palace provides the next day, he learns no one's ever seen the queen; this will be her big reveal. When he arrives at the palace, the other guests (humans all, diverse in both race and gender) are wearing fancy clothes. Bobo thinks about covering up, but the tablecloth he uses makes a mess...then his fleas start acting up. Soon the guards are after him, trying to throw him out. The ensuing chase wrecks the palace. "Who made this mess?" shouts the queen from her palanquin. Shamefacedly, Bobo confesses. With a squeal of delight, the queen (also a warthog) shouts "WELL DONE!" Suddenly everyone is free to have fun and be as messy as they like, even the stuffy palace guards. Bahrampour's text and watercolor cartoons are neatly in sync, Bobo's bewilderment yielding to a determination to stay for dinner as the foolishness proceeds. The hoggy hijinks of the chase through the palace and the messy finish will appeal to little listeners, who will hope for an invite to the queen and Bobo's next party. The cartoon illustrations show a (human) cast of many hues. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 61.2% of actual size.) A pleasing porcine parable. (Picture book. 2-7)

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October 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 1-This entertaining story about a misfit boar named Bobo will delight readers of all ages. Bobo is covered in fleas and living on his own in the woods when he receives a surprise invitation to attend a dinner with the new queen at the royal palace. After being chauffeured to the giant royal home, Bobo wreaks havoc in numerous ways: He bumps into the royal staff, knocks over vases, spills food, and generally makes a mess everywhere he goes. Bobo is eventually told to get out, but he doesn't want to leave without dining first. A surprise ending involving a squealing queen, also a boar, helps readers understand why Bobo was invited to the palace in the first place. In the end, this tale is about the triumph of fun over fussiness. Bahrampour's bright watercolor illustrations are cartoonish, featuring mostly white characters, and filled with amusing details. In one set of pictures, Bobo uses his teeth to pull a loose thread from a man's jacket, wrapping the thread around columns, and completely unraveling the coat until the man is standing there with no top on. Other illustrations clearly convey the characters' emotions, including the disdain the royal staff feels towards Bobo at first, and the joy they feel at the end as they watch Bobo and the queen head off into the forest. VERDICT This adorable, playful story is recommended for purchase.-Melanie Kletter, School Library Journal

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