Wriggly Pig

Although the rest of his brood is quiet and well-mannered, Wriggly Pig can't sit still for a minute. After his hyperkinetic horseplay ruins a series of family outings, everyone despairs of what to do with him. Blake imbues his thin story with a gentle sweetness, but too much space is devoted to exposition--descriptions of the out-of-control piglet at the movies, at the beach, at a cafe--and not enough to the abrupt resolution. When Wriggly's high-speed activities lead to a collision with a mailbox that knocks him senseless, his family immediately realizes that they'd rather have a wriggling relative than none at all. Happy at last, the whole bunch wriggles their way home. Jenkin-Pearce's illustrations evoke a playful motion that helps sustain the book. Tremulous ink lines filled with bright-hued watercolors combine delicacy and animation in capturing Wriggly's nonstop gyrations. The presentation of this familiar theme, though buoyed by ebullient artwork, unfortunately lacks originality. Ages 3-up. (May)