SQUEAKY CLEAN

The three little piglets in this rambunctious tale, like most wee ones, have a knack for getting downright filthy. Mama Pig, however, prefers her children when they are clean and smelling fresh. Despite their loud protests, Mama carries her piglets off to a bath. But oh how they squeal and squeak while in the hated tub. Mama gets her brain working and thinks up some creative cures for their unhappiness. First she adds some bubbles and the piglets find them pretty and tickly and loads of fun. Mama Pig has more surprises up her sleeve: she supplies rubber duckies and to top it off “ . . . she splooshed and she swooshed and galooshed them all over.” And it’s a grand time for all. When her piglets are patted dry and snug in beds Mama decides she needs a bit of pampering herself. But she is surprised to find that her bath-time creativity may have backfired and that her piglets have decided that “ . . . because baths are the BEST FUN EVER!” hadn’t they better hurry and get grubby again. Perfect for bath-time, but great for lap time, Puttock’s (A Story for Hippo, 2001, etc.) read is good-humored and filled with bubbly language. Children will revel in the kid-sized cliffhangers as they anticipate the next bath ingredient. McQuillan (Get Well Soon Book, not reviewed) illuminates the story with her brushstroke textures of pudgy cuteness brightened with sparkling colors on silky paper. (Picture book. 3-6)