Piggy

PreS-Gr 1—This spectacle-wearing porcine protagonist is an avid reader. Piggy has been so busy reading about friendships, he's forgotten to make any of his own. He tries to catch the attention of a cat whose nose is also constantly in a book. He uses flowers, bubbles, airplane messages, and more, but nothing seems to distract the reading feline. Finally, he realizes sharing a book with a fellow bookworm may be the best way to win over this new friend. The idea is successful, and the two go on to read and play together—matching glasses and all. The illustrations—rendered in pencil and watercolor, then digitally finished—are well-done, and the characters really are adorable. The slightly disjointed story and choppy text don't rise to the bar set by the accompanying pictures; however, that may not matter. The book jacket states that Piggy is already the animated star of his own app, and has been downloaded more than 65 million times as an emoticon. He may have a devoted audience regardless of how his picture book reads.