Pretty Princess Pig

Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple, illus. by Sam Williams. S&S/Little Simon, $9.99 (24p) ISBN 978-1-4424-0833-3

Fancy Nancy in her attitude, Charles Schulz's Pigpen in her execution, this mother-daughter team's heroine has a charm all her own. Princess Pig hustles to get her home ready for her "big tea party," but she can't escape her species' reputation for messiness: "The dining room needs paint and plaster./ Princess Pig paints faster and faster./ She thinks it's fine%E2%80%94but what a disaster!/ Pretty Princess Pig." Luckily, as the foldout finale reveals, her friends don't mind a little mess. With their pastel palette and nimble linework, Williams's watercolors match this princess's verve. Ages 4%E2%80%936. (May)

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