Kirkus Reviews QR Code
I KNOW A WEE PIGGY by Kimberly Norman

I KNOW A WEE PIGGY

by Kimberly Norman & illustrated by Henry Cole

Pub Date: June 14th, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3735-8
Publisher: Dial Books

How can one small pig get into so much trouble?

“I know a wee piggy… / who wallowed in BROWN. / Upside down, he wallowed in brown. ‘But brown is not for me,’ he said. ‘I think I’ll add a rinse of…’ / RED!” And so it begins! This energetic, pitch-perfect riff on “I Know an Old Lady” introduces various colors while following a spirited young piggy on a delicious romp through a county fair. Mayhem ensues as the pig chooses his hues and frolics through a variety of substances (mud, grass, chicken feathers and tomatoes, for example) to achieve his multicolored goals. In a nice touch, the names of the colors are bolded and colored within the otherwise black text, making for easy recognition of the actual words. Youngsters will eagerly join in and sing along with the cumulative verse and laugh out loud with the lovable piggy as he scampers throughout the fair, wreaking havoc everywhere he goes. The acrylic-and-ink illustrations are replete with vibrant colors and gentle humor and will draw even the most reluctant readers in. But wait! There’s a color missing—blue. What is blue at a county fair? A ribbon, of course. Does this piggy deserve one? You bet!

This gleefully messy pig will prompt endless re-readings.

(Picture book. 2-6)