PIGS ROCK!

It’s hard to say at what age children absorb what’s going on with music and bands and life on the road, but it’s bound to be early given the attention paid to the bubble-gum guys. Now, debut author and early-elementary teacher Jones speaks to that interest as she assembles a Pig Band and sends them out, complete with a tour bus that runs off that road. (No terrible mishap, though, because they’re saved by an ice-cream truck.) There’s a piggy guitarist, standup bass player, pianist, and drummer and together they play country, blues, and rock and roll. While most kids won’t understand what blue suede shoes are (they deserved updating), they are introduced to the idea of diverse music styles, concerts, and fans and all in rhyme. As important is Staake’s (One Hundred Shoes, not reviewed, etc.) evocative graphic art that uses a flat, but varied, color scale reminiscent of Donald Crews, although his compositions are much busier in order to illuminate the excitement of concerts. He introduces a dazzling array of shapes, depicting instruments, buildings, and people, but also throws in some nice arty nuances to rock interest. He spotlights a world that the fans of this package have yet to experience. Like a rock band, the strength here is the entire package. The context may be a little early for some kids, but they’ll cheer the happy symphony of elements. (Picture book. 3-5)