Pig the Elf

Pig the pug’s selfishness and greed remain unchecked in his third book, in which he’s anticipating Christmas with an almost maniacal fervor: “He’d written a list,/ and he’d asked for a lot./ But Santa takes orders,/ so why the heck not?” After staying up late on Christmas Eve, Pig is disappointed by the small stack of presents left for him, so he chases Santa up the chimney, chomping down on the elf’s rear end before the reindeer help him make a speedy getaway. As in Pig’s previous books, there’s little comeuppance or attitude reform—it’s essentially a book about a fairly bad dog indulging his id. Ages 3–5. (Sept.)