PIG ON THE TITANIC

Not a living pig, but a musical toy carried on board by a passenger, Maxixe (pronounced “Mash-eesh,” though readers are left to look that up for themselves) describes how its simple dance tune helped to keep up the spirits of a lifeboat full of children through that tragic “night to remember.” In Whatley’s crisply detailed reconstructions, the smiling white piglet seems to glow in its owner’s arms as it’s carried through Titanic’s palatial rooms, past elegantly dressed passengers, and then into a boat crowded with fearful-looking children. Rescue comes at last, and Maxixe’s narrative ends amid smiles of relief. Capped by a closing note and a later photo of the pig, and owner Edith Rosenbaum, this, like Daisy Spedden’s more detailed Polar the Titanic Bear (1996), lends the historical catastrophe immediacy for younger audiences while downplaying its horrific aspects. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)