The Pig in a Wig

Peggoty, a pig who spends hours admiring herself in the duck pond, is devastated when she is teased by a quartet of lambs. ""You're pink and fat, and you're baaaald, too,"" they scoff. Peggoty takes their insults to heart and seeks beauty tips from her animal friends, all of whom recommend fur or feathers. That night, ""strange rustling and scuffling sounds came from Peggoty's corner,"" and the pig emerges wearing a cap of curly locks (although neither text nor illustrations explain how she constructs her hairpiece). Predictably, the plan backfires and Peggoty becomes the farm's laughingstock--that is, until she sees the farmer's wife cooing over a baby--""a pink, plump, and perfectly hairless human!"" Hess (Farmyard Animals) creates a folktale ambiance with harmonious paintings of a yellow stone barn, steep grassy hills and blooming spring trees, all rendered with playful perspectives and a canny blend of realism and wit. But MacDonald's (Beware of the Bears) barnyard be-yourself plot, as long in the tooth as the old gray horse who brags about his ""glossy and galloping mane,"" is ready for retirement. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)