Poppleton

Starred review from March 3, 1997
City pig Poppleton adjusts to small-town life in this understated and roundly appealing chapter book. In "Neighbors," the polite Poppleton tries to think up a polite way to say "no thanks" to Cherry Sue, a friendly llama who invites him to breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. When his aggravation expresses itself as rudeness, Cherry Sue admits that she didn't know how to stop issuing invitations without hurting Poppleton's feelings, and the two become best friends. The second vignette, "The Library," details Poppleton's reading ritual, which demands solitude. Finally, "The Pill" introduces Fillmore, a sick goat who refuses to take his pill unless Poppleton hides it in a cake, whereupon the stubborn goat eats all the other slices until he reaches the one with the medicine: " `I can't eat that one,' he said. `It has a pill.' " As in Rylant's other series for beginning readers (Henry and Mudge; Mr. Potter and Tabby), her concise sentences mimic the characters' good manners and wryly point up the failures of etiquette. Teague contributes fetching watercolor-and-pencil images of the pudgy pig, slender llama and dignified goat; the compositions are airier and the palette lighter than in his Pigsty or The Secret Shortcut. The end pages offer a satisfying bird's-eye view of the quaint, cozy neighborhood, with all three characters strolling the sidewalks. Ages 4-7.

March 1, 1997
PreS-Gr 2-Poppleton, a most interesting pig, lives in a charming house in the country in this three-chapter beginning reader. In the first chapter, instead of submitting indefinitely to an overly friendly neighbor's ministrations, he finally tells her, though not without first making a muddle of it, that he needs time to himself. In the second, he shows how much he values reading, for not even the temptations of a lovely afternoon tea or an exciting parade stand in the way of his Monday library day. The final story reveals Poppleton's sense of humor as he joins a sick friend in bed when it becomes clear that there is a very palatable way to take pills. With his aerial view on the endpapers, Teague ushers readers into the pig's small country town. His large, acrylic cartoons introduce many humorous touches: a chicken on rollerblades; a framed picture of Poppleton's sociable neighbor, waving, of course; a picture of a can on the wall in a goat friend's house. The characters' facial expressions and body language greatly enhance the text. Rylant titles this Book One. Readers will be happy to know there are other Poppleton adventures in the wings.-Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community-Technical College, CT

February 1, 1997
Gr. 1^-2. Poppleton is the new pig in town. He makes friends with his neighbor, Cherry Sue, but all she wants to do is feed Poppleton--oatmeal in the morning, toasted cheese in the afternoon, spaghetti at night. The food frenzy goes on day after day until Poppleton soaks Cherry Sue with his hose. He's tired of sharing meals, but it turns out Cherry Sue thought he'd be hurt if she stopped preparing food for him. In a second, rather plotless chapter, Poppleton visits the library on Mondays; in the last installment, Poppleton helps a friend take his medicine. Poppleton is an appealing character, especially the way he is drawn by Mark Teague, but the vignettes themselves lack zip. Still, this is an attractive package, and the art alone will draw kids in. Once there, they won't mind using the book to brush up on their reading skills. ((Reviewed February 1, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)