Virjan, Emma J. What This Story Needs Is a Pig in a Wig. Emma J. Virjan, Illus. Easy Reader. HarperCollins, 05/2015. [34]p. $9.99. 978-0-06-232724-6. OUTSTANDING. GRADES TODDLER-2.
What this circular story needs is a reader, which shouldn’t be very hard to find because the story improves with each successive reading. Virjan’s charcoal sketches are retro with a digitally painted bright mod palette featuring the pig of the title wearing a red wig (which appears stolen from Marge Simpson) on a pink boat with a snout where the name of the boat would typically appear. It works as both a picture book and early easy reader. The rhyming text is catchy and works well as a participatory story. It will be no surprise if Pig is recognized by this year’s Geisel committee. Based on the trailer across the cover, this may be the first in a series. Also, it may be the answer to a librarian’s plight of what to turn to when there are no more Elephant and Piggie series books (Willems, Disney/Hyperion) being published.
Beth Gousman, Montclair School