What This Story Needs Is a Munch and a Crunch

Starred review from March 2, 2015
In a story with echoes of Seuss and Willems, Virján (Nacho the Party Puppy) offers a very funny lesson about the unreliability of narrators. “What this story needs,” the unseen narrator declares, “is a pig.” Fair enough: the pig, pink and drawn in a naïve cartoon style, appears in a spotlight. When the narrator decrees that the pig don a red bouffant wig and climb in a boat in a moat “with a frog,/ a dog,/ and a goat on a log,” the pig goes along with the plan, though it’s clear dubiousness is setting in. But when the narrator keeps adding so many rhyming characters and objects that it imperils everyone on board the tiny pink ship, the pig finally speaks up. “Hey!” she calls out, “It’s getting crowded in here, don’t you think?/ Off of this boat before we all sink!” Taking control of the narration, the pig sends the other animals packing, but the final scene sets things right while tipping its hat to a classic line from Jaws. Ages 4–8. Agent: Edite Kroll, Edite Kroll Literary Agency.

June 1, 2016

PreS-K-Fans of the protagonist of What This Story Needs Is a Pig in a Wig will be glad she is back with another fun adventure with her friends Squirrel and Rabbit. Pig prepares a picnic with "some good friends[, ] crunching and munching by the trees," until a sudden storm has them making a mad dash for safety. "Whoosh Boom Plop Splash." Can Pig save the day? The digitally painted illustrations follow the text, making it easy for emerging readers to recognize new words. They will want to reread this journey over and over again. VERDICT Another hit in the series, this offering is sure to fly off the shelf.-Andrea Pavlik, Huntington Public Library, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
Super silliness helps new readers practice. Virjan uses just 54 different words and five sentences that list familiar items, mostly food. With very short phrases on each page, beginning readers can turn the pages quickly. Despite its brevity, the story has a satisfying arc, beginning with the pig in a bright red wig preparing a picnic, then being joined by a squirrel and rabbit friend for games and lunch. Rain sends them inside but doesn't dampen this cheerful trio's spirits. The story is too brief for chapters, but each section starts with "What this story needs is"--again giving new readers a chunk of recognizable vocabulary. Most of the vocabulary consists of one-syllable standards, while clues in the clear, digitally colored illustrations make more challenging words ("sandwiches," "few," "breeze") easy to figure out. Best of all, the rhyming text bounces along without resorting to irritating singsong. The only quibble is the rather abrupt end: "What this story needs now is... / another place to eat." Adding the word "lunch" would have brought the story arc full circle while maintaining the rhythm of the text. Nitpicking aside, schools and libraries should plan on picnicking with this pig in a wig. (Early reader. 5-8)

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