PIGGIES IN PAJAMAS

The piggies may be in their pajamas, but they have little interest in snoozing.

While Mama's in the kitchen and Papa is working late, the shoats make merry. "Piggies in pajamas, / jumping in the air, / tossing up the pillows, / popcorn in their hair." The five little piggies of various ages finish their jumping and use their imaginations. First they are mountain climbers and simultaneously ocean divers, but "THUMP, THUMP. / OINK, OINK— / All the piggies fall. / STOMP, STOMP, / STOMP, / STOMP— / 'Mama's in the hall!' " They hurry up to hide in bed and wait to make sure Mama's not coming. Then it's off to pretend to be a train until they hear the stomping again! Hide under the covers...and then a pillow fight when the coast is clear. But a scratching branch at the window sounds like a wolf or a fox or a bear! Those piggies know the best place to go when they're scared! Mama's bed is big and cozy: "Good night, piggies!" Meadows and Hoyt team up again for another tale of porcine mischief (Piggies in the Kitchen, 2011). Little listeners will see themselves in Meadows' friendly, creative rhymes (though the noisy onomatopoeia might not make for the best bedtime read). Hoyt's pale watercolors of full-bleed rambunctiousness (with occasional insets of a suspicious Mama downstairs) are a terrific match.

Piggies in pajamas: pure porky pleasure! (Picture book. 2-7)