SNUFFLES AND SNOUTS
edited by Laura Robb & illustrated by Steven Kellogg
More than two dozen poems—some cute, some throwaways, most written in the past ten years—all united by an attractive common denominator: the pig. Although some of these poems would never pass muster in any other context, the overall effect is enjoyable. More significantly, the collection contains several gems, from a Walter de la Mare poem to the book's indisputable masterpiece, ``The Pig- Tale,'' rescued from Lewis Carroll's seldom-read Sylvie and Bruno (1889). Kellogg's illustrations—ink, pencil, and watercolor washes—depict delicately drawn figures in delicate poses, which, apart from certain details, would have felt at home in a book published a hundred years ago. Readers who like pigs will probably like these poems, and those who read these poems will certainly like pigs. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)