Pig's Eggs

A touch of nostalgia infuses this cheerful story, just right for tucking into an Easter basket. The rose-strewn cottage, the porcine hero reminiscent of Porky Pig, the exaggerated physical action and straightforward story--all resemble cartoon animation from the '40s and '50s. Pig and Hen love painting portraits of each other: ""Hen painted Pig in his rose garden. `Wonderful!' said Pig. Pig painted Hen in her vegetable garden. `Beautiful,' said Hen."" But when Hen has to take time out to hatch her eggs, Pig is lonesome. He goes to visit his friend and helps her pass the time. When Hen goes out for a lunch break, Pig amuses himself by juggling the precious eggs, then decides to paint them a spectrum of colors. Eventually, the eggs hatch into a rainbow brood of chicks (each matching the color of its shell). Partridge's (Clara and the Hoodoo Man) take on the egg-dying ritual will have children chuckling, and Weston's (Cats Are Like That) comic details--such as the expression on Pig's face as he juggles the eggs, and the part-yellow/part-orange chick that bursts from a partially painted shell--add to the fun. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)