CAN YOU MAKE A PIGGY GIGGLE?

A stubborn pig refuses to crack a smile even as all the other farm animals are laughing at the mayhem. “A chick might snicker,” “a calf might laugh,” and “a duck might chuckle,” but riddles, silly dancing, and even fiddling can’t coax this pig to giggle. Cartoon-like illustrations rendered in watercolor and colored pencils depict the silly animals as they amuse themselves and each other with their antics. A spectacles-wearing owl, an accordion-playing turtle, and a fiddling chick are sure to tickle the funny bone of even the most serious young readers. Still, when the young boy and animals speed up their wild antics, figuring that maybe faster twirling and jumping will amuse their porcine friend, he will not laugh. It’s the pig that gets the last laugh however, because when the other animals are looking away, he offers a grin. The rhyming phrases and tongue-twisting verses will certainly challenge even the most seasoned veteran of the read-aloud. Even if the “piggy won’t giggle,” most everyone else will. (Picture book. 2-5)