The Princess and the Pig

The Princess and the Pig. Jonathan Emmett. Illustrated by Poly Bernatene. 2011. Walker. 32 pages.


Not that long ago, in a kingdom not far from here, a farmer was traveling home from the market with a cartload of straw. The farmer was so poor that he didn't have a horse and had to pull his own cart. In the back of the cart lay a tiny pink piglet. Nobody wanted to buy the piglet at the market, but the farmer had taken pity on it. "I'll call you Pigmella," he decided, as this seemed like a good name for a pig.

The Princess and the Pig is a delightful book; one that I just loved and adored! The royal princess, Priscilla, is dropped from the tower--the Queen being so disgusted by the smell coming from the baby's diaper--the baby lands quite safely in the farmer's cart. The pig goes up, up, up in the air and lands in the baby's cradle. Because EVERYONE in the kingdom seems to read the right kinds of books--the kinds of books with fairies--good and bad--the kinds of books where the unexpected happens all the time--it's assumed by all that a bad fairy has turned the princess into a pig and a good fairy has turned the pig into a baby girl because she knew that the farmer and his wife are good, hardworking people who haven't been able to have a child of their own all these years.

So the story of course follows both the princess and the pig through the years...and it's quite an entertaining read!!! Very satisfying I must say!!!

It's a great story, very fun, very delightful! Loved all the details! Loved the highlighting of all the books. I'd definitely recommend this one!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Can't Sleep Without Sheep

Can't Sleep Without Sheep. Susanna Leonard Hill. Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. 2010. Walker Books. 40 pages.

Ava had a hard time falling asleep.
Her mind was always so busy!
"Try counting sheep," suggested her mother.
So she did.

Ava depends on counting sheep to fall asleep each night. So it's no little matter when one night her sheep decide to quit. Oh, they won't go without at least trying to find Ava a replacement. But what animal can jump the fence so well as a sheep? How about a herd of buffalo? a flock of chickens? Ava tries counting pigs, chickens, cows, horses, even penguins and hippos. But the sheep are irreplaceable. Ava needs her sheep? Can Ava convince her sheep to stay?!

It's a silly bedtime book. I liked it! The illustrations were very fun! They matched the text well. Both being playful and exuberant.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers