Little Pig Saves the Ship

Starred review from March 15, 2017
Little Pig's still too small to do everything his brothers and sisters do...but it turns out that's not a problem.Little Pig's four older siblings are going to sailing camp, but Little Pig's not old enough. Eldest sibling Tiny gives him a rope to practice knots, but one whole day of tying knots is enough. Thankfully, Poppy and Grandpa come over, and Poppy brings a model ship he's carving. Little Pig helps Poppy finish the ship. They sail it on Monday and Tuesday and in the rain on Wednesday. They build a dock Thursday and sail it all the way across the river Friday. On Saturday it gets away from them and goes over a waterfall in a dramatic sequence that's perfectly gauged for the audience. Poppy can't catch it. Little Pig runs to the bridge, remembers the rope Tiny gave him, and makes use of those knots he practiced. He saves the day just in time to share sailing stories with all his siblings, home from camp. Costello's second title starring Little Pig's as charming as his earlier Little Pig Joins the Band (2011). The inviting watercolor-and-ink illustrations are a well-paced mix of full-bleed, spot, and cartoon panels dotted with speech bubbles that illuminate the close, intergenerational relationship between Little Pig and Poppy. Young listeners will identify with being too little but still quite capable. Here's hoping Little Pig will take his time growing up and gift readers with a few more tales of being smallest. (Picture book. 3-7)

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Starred review from May 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-The adorable protagonist of Little Pig Joins the Band returns as his brothers and sisters head off to sailing camp for the summer. Little Pig is too small to join his siblings, so his brother leaves him a book of sailors' knots, and his grandfather carves him a miniature boat. Each day Little Pig and his grandfather sail the boat in a stream until one day it accidentally floats away. Little Pig uses his new knot-tying skills to rescue the vessel. Costello's ink and watercolor images mixed with comic book-style word bubbles and some paneled page layouts are thoughtful and add energy and movement. The story will be a familiar one to any young reader who feels too small to join in with older siblings or peers, and offers an empowering message of learning to overcome one's small stature. VERDICT Wholesome and cute, this fun new adventure with Little Pig is a satisfying addition to most collections. A great choice for storytime or small group sharing.-Kaitlin Malixi, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
Little Pig from Little Pig Joins the Band (rev. 9/11) is back, once again left behind by his older siblings. This time they are going to sailing camp without him; all Little Pig can do is stay home and practice his knot-tying skills. But then his grandfathers, Grandpa and Poppy, bring him a toy boat Poppy has carved for him, which keeps him entertained all week. Until Saturday, that is, when a gust of wind sends the little boat over a waterfall and downstream, where it will soon be lost forever. Fortunately, Little Pig's practicing comes in handy as he pulls out his rope from his pocket, ties a bowline knot, and at the last possible moment scoops the boat up. This triumph eases the sting of his siblings' return from sailing camp, as does the next adventure--a day spent sailing his beautiful toy boat with the whole Pig family. Friendly watercolors capture the hustle-and-bustle of a large family, Little Pig's initial loneliness, and summer days spent knee-deep in a (beautifully evoked) pooled-up stream, messing about with boats. A profusion of speech bubbles adds drama, immediacy, and humor (an older sister hands Little Pig a postcard upon her return and says, By the way, I meant to mail you this ). The intergenerational friendship between Poppy and Little Pig is heartwarming, and the open-to-interpretation presentation of the grandfathers in the illustrations (it's implied that Grandpa and Poppy are a couple, but not overtly stated) is just right. martha v. parravano

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2017
Little Pig's (Little Pig Joins the Band) older siblings are going to sailing camp; he reluctantly stays behind, learning to tie knots. His grandfathers bring him a toy boat, which keeps him entertained all week. Friendly watercolors capture the hustle-and-bustle of a large family, Little Pig's initial loneliness, and summer days spent knee-deep in a (beautifully evoked) pooled-up stream. A profusion of speech bubbles adds drama, immediacy, and humor.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)