Hogg, Hogg, & Hog

In this story of "the most famous, fabulous, successful Big Pigs to ever leave the farm and make it in the BIG CITY," Palatini's brash digital artwork exudes physical comedy and urban glitz. But to understand her story—which nods to the fickle nature of fame and how media and celebrity can propagate silly trends—the book requires readers to have cultural knowledge that may be beyond their ken. The plot revolves around small marketing fads that pretend to be "big ideas"; the trio of pigs, enormously oversize and dressed as corporate fat cats, are living high on the hog, with "oink" mania sweeping the city. "Amazing! Genius! Brilliant!" gush reporters. "Who OINKED first? What's the next BIG OINK?" As with all fads, oinking gets old, and the pigs' attempt to stay on top results in an intellectual property dispute with some of their old barnyard friends. Kids may have trouble understanding what, exactly, the pigs have done that's so groundbreaking (which is part of the book's subversive charm). As a satire of contemporary pop culture, this will be best appreciated by media-savvy adults. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)