School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-Piggly Wiglet slips under the bottom rail of his pen and embarks on a quest to catch the sun. The displeasure of the other farm animals does not deter the optimistic pig. Although the farmer, a collection of townspeople, and the zookeeper try to catch him as he runs down the road, through the town, and into the zoo, he is too fast for them. As the afternoon proceeds, Piggy grows weary and eventually turns around, following the setting sun all the way home to his own pen. He settles down to sleep, tired and happy because "he knew he was the only one/who ever-/almost-/caught the sun!" The rhyming text and the pastel watercolor-and-pencil illustrations contribute to the cheerful tone of this pleasant story. The disapproval and surprise of Piggy's pursuers-animals and people alike-are evident in the characters' expressive faces. Each painting contains amusing details that enliven the slight plot. A couple enjoys a picnic of sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs in the park. A bear slyly licks his chops as Piggy passes through the zoo. A child peers out from a second-story window above the bookstore when Piggy ties up traffic in town. Children may enjoy this playful story in verse, but Robert Munsch's Pigs (Annick, 1992) is a more action-packed and hilarious tale of pigs on the loose.-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.