20 Hungry Piggies

May 1, 2007
PreS-Gr 2-While the piggies in the original nursery rhyme number only five, this tale does not end with the unfortunate one who went wee, wee, wee/all the way home. Instead, the imaginative Harris duo envision a new, fun-filled scene and delight readers with the news that Fifth little piggy went, /'We, we, we]/We STILL arent done! The premise of this rhyming counting book is that 20 pigs have been invited to a picnic. Using all modes of transportation, the porcine guests arrive bearing treats, talents, and paraphernalia. What they dont notice is the infamous wolf straight out of The Three Little Pigs. True to form, he craves pork chops and seems destined to have his meal-until he stops to count only 19 porkers. Greed makes him the victim of a stampede when the 20th one, who has been napping, rings the dinner bell. Hilarious color cartoon illustrations show pigs with plenty of personality, each prominently displaying a number while that same number is hidden somewhere on the spread, along with the sneaky wolf. In the spirit of Margie Palatinis "Piggie Pie!" (Clarion, 1995), this funny story is perfect for one-on-one and group sharing."Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.