THE SPOTTY PIG

From King-Smith (The Stray, 1996, etc.), the story of a spotty pig, Peter, who thinks his spots are ugly and says so to his friend, Joe, a cat. Peter embarks on a series of unsuccessful attempts to rid himself of the spots, but summer sun doesn't fade them, autumn leaves don't blur them with dirt, winter snow doesn't freeze them white, spring rains don't wash them off. Instead, Peter's spots grow larger as he does. Woe is he until he meets Penny, with all the virtues a young swain might hope for: beauty, similar interests, and spots—just imagine his elation when Penny presents him with 13 spotty piglets. Wormell's linocuts are charming, as is King-Smith's text, replete with his gently wry humor. Unfortunately, this take on the old Ugly Duckling story is without much suspense: Once Penny appears, Peter's journey to self- acceptance simply stops. (Picture book. 3-6)