PIGS ARE PREPARED

Three little pigs have fun adventures, but first they must get ready for them.

The anthropomorphic porcine siblings, who live in a human house, “can’t wait to play,” but play requires planning. When they go riding on their bicycles, they have to make sure they’re wearing helmets and using hand signals for safety. When they want to have a picnic, they first have to pack a basket, a blanket, and their badminton gear. Swimming requires towels, sunscreen, and their “water wings.” Readers follow along as the pigs also prepare for “long hikes,” winter weather, and a frolic in the rain. Salcedo’s digital artwork is lively and colorful and gives each pig a distinct personality and appearance. Children will enjoy the visual humor of an illustration showing the slim pig who wears eyeglasses running away from a swarm of bees. Wilhelm’s jaunty rhymes roll off the tongue, but the cadence stumbles in some places. Although this is marketed as a novelty board book, the only novelty element is a magnetic closure whose purpose is purely decorative. Nevertheless, caregivers seeking to teach young children organizational skills and good safety habits, particularly with respect to outdoor play, will appreciate this offering.

Preparation matters, and so does this board book.