My Lucky Day

Starred review from October 6, 2003
Kasza (The Wolf's Chicken Stew
) introduces another ravenous creature in this witty twist on a familiar theme. While sharpening his claws to hunt for his breakfast, a not-so-sly fox answers a knock on his door and finds a tasty-looking piglet. "This must be my lucky day!... How often does dinner come knocking on the door?" he exclaims, grabbing both the pig and a roasting pan. But when the quick-thinking, dirty piglet suggests that he would be a better meal if he were clean, the fox prepares him a soothing bath. When the piglet comments that he would provide more meat if he were fatter, the fox dons a chef's hat and serves up spaghetti and freshly baked cookies. And when, nestled in the roasting pan surrounded by vegetables and being placed in the oven, the piglet reflects that he would make a more tender roast if he had a massage, the fox complies. Exhausted from his exertions, the f0x collapses on the floor, leaving the piglet to skip home—with the rest of the cookies—proclaiming, "This must be my lucky day." In a final funny flourish, the last page shows the pig relaxing in front of a fire, reading a directory of other predators (with the fox's name crossed out), wondering whom he will visit next. Kasza's gouache art is as buoyant and comical as her narrative, and she skillfully uses multiple vignettes to convey the fox's arduous preparations. The animals' facial expressions alone could carry this tale. Ages 4-8.

September 1, 2003
PreS-Gr 2-Fans of the author's The Wolf's Chicken Stew (Putnam, 1987) will not be disappointed by this amusing offering. A hungry fox is sure that it's his lucky day when a delectable-looking pig knocks on his door by mistake. Mr. Fox grabs his squealing guest and starts to prepare a feast, but the pig asks him to wait, pointing out, "I'm filthy. Shouldn't you wash me first?" The fox prepares a lovely bath and the pig compliments him on being "a terrific scrubber." But then, the pig continues, shouldn't he be fattened up a bit? And shouldn't he be massaged so that he won't be tough? Mr. Fox grudgingly complies with these requests and soon finds himself so exhausted that "He couldn't lift a finger, let alone a roasting pan." The pig heads home, clean, well fed, relaxed, and ready to plan his next call on an unsuspecting predator. Set against white backgrounds, the lively gouache illustrations enhance the humorous and witty text. The fox's facial expressions clearly reflect his range of emotions, as he goes from sheer elation to pure exhaustion. He is as gullible and endearing as the pig is sly and charming. A good choice for storyhours as well as one-on-one readings.-Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2003
K-Gr. 2. A fox is saved the trouble of hunting for his dinner when a tasty-looking piglet arrives at his door. It's his lucky day--or so he thinks. Then, the wily piglet outfoxes the fox: Wouldn't the fox prefer a clean pig to roast? The fox gets busy heating bathwater. Next comes a spaghetti dinner to fatten Pig up, followed by a luxurious massage to make his meat more tender. The fox finally collapses in exhaustion, and the sated piglet scampers home to a warm fire, ready to plan his next "lucky day." The discerning child will find the fox's reaction to his lost dinner depicted on the back cover. Reminiscent of her earlier" Wolf's Chicken Stew "(1987), this well-paced, delightful book plays on traditional story patterns, enhanced by Kasza's lively illustrations. Children will relate this tale to the humor of a child outwitting a grown-up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)