Me First

In another successful joint effort, the creators of Tacky the Penguin and Pookins Gets Her Way introduce a memorable character--a plump, delightfully expressive pig named Pinkerton, who always insists on being first, ``even if it meant bouncing off bellies, stepping on snouts, or tying tails.'' When Pinkerton's Pig Scout troop goes to the beach, Munsinger's hilarious, whimsical art shows the pushy fellow (wearing pink-and-white dotted trunks, an inflatable tube and goggles) stepping on the heads of two pals to be ``first out of the water, and first into the picnic basket.'' But when the piggy Pinkerton rushes across the beach to respond to an alluring question (``Who would care for a sandwich?'') he gets a well-deserved comeuppance, for he is pressed into service by a tiny Sandwitch who needs someone to take care of her. This funny, fetching tale will bring chuckles--and a lesson--to any child with a tendency to echo Pinkerton's cries of ``Me first.'' Ages 4-up. (Sept.)