Pigs in a Pickle

February 15, 2020
Three pigs find themselves trying but not always succeeding in this story of perseverance. They fall out of boats, spin out of control, and often fall down, but in the end, these "pigs in a pickle know what to do. / They try again--they carry through!" In a tale that combines aspects of "This Little Piggy" and "Humpty Dumpty," Wilhelm's rhyming text echoes the childhood classics. Impressively, the story conveys its message about perseverance without ending sappily with a success story. In Wilhelm's take, when you give it your "best shot," realistically, "sometimes it works... / ...and sometimes it does not." The piggy who falls off the merry-go-round gets back up and tries again--and again he falls off. What a lesson for little readers! Salcedo's three pigs each have their own distinctive look: one with large glasses, the second with pigtails, and the third with a round tummy. Each illustration is filled with a lot of movement thanks to well-placed lines, swirls, and squiggles, a necessary inclusion given the copious stumbling, twirling, and falling. There is also a lovely level of detail, from the suits on the playing cards to the tiny hose and ladder on the toy fire truck, though this visual complexity gears this book to the older segment of the board-book audience. This story's got a moral that's actually true to life. (Board book. 3-4)

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May 15, 2020
Preschool In this amusing board book, three frisky little piggies, resembling children but with pig-like snouts and ears, experience a series of uh-oh moments as they play. The rhyming text sets up a variety of scenarios, which unfold in the spirited, cartoonlike illustrations. From building a sandcastle to kayaking to driving little vehicles, their activities change quickly and end with this mini drama: after one little piggy staggers off the playground merry-go-round looking dizzy, the others encourage him to try again. They all climb aboard, spinning happily until?illustrating how No matter what, / they give their best shot. / Sometimes it works . . . / and sometimes it does not ?the first one loses his grip, flies off, and ends up sitting in a shallow pond, looking awfully surprised. A diverting choice for toddlers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)