Under a Pig Tree

February 23, 2015
The conceit of this comic pearl is that the author’s paean to figs has been ruined by a single pervasive typo. Palatini (No Nap! Yes Nap!) pours it on, scrawling blistering notes to her publisher, the hammily named Hamilton A. Cochon, throughout. “Look, mistakes happen,” Cochon explains. “The ‘F’ looked like a ‘P,’ okay?” Many of the “mistakes” deliver big laughs: “Nothing is better than a pig right off a tree. Look for the ones on low branches.” Others may be tougher for readers to understand on first read, especially for kids unfamiliar with figs to begin with: “Some pigs are very popular and quite famous, such as Blanche, Celeste, Len, and Tena.” Even so, Groenink’s (Santa Clauses) witty, accomplished artwork vaults the book into the memorable category. With easy grace, he parodies Greek vases, Chinese porcelain, and medieval Books of Hours, while adding plenty of pig sass of his own. It’s a prime choice for foodie families, who will especially appreciate recipes for “Pigs Stuffed with Blue Cheese” and the like. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator’s agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House.

February 15, 2015
A purported editing error-substituting the letter "p" for "f" on a critical word throughout-transforms a tribute to figs into an appreciation of-pigs!Initiating the high jinks, a mock "Message from the Publisher" conveys the error to readers (while griping about the author's overreaching insistence on the disclaimer). Handwritten notes appear throughout, with the editor's instructions and the author's irritated, red-penciled responses. Palatini provides historical details about the fig in Greece, Egypt and Europe, information about certain named cultivars and a gushy author's note, with recipes. Meanwhile, Groenink playfully sides with the editor, producing digital, gouache and pencil pictures teeming with pigs. "Some pigs are very popular and quite famous, such as Blanche, Celeste, Len and Tena. Of course, everyone knows Judy." Groenink depicts these bona fide fig cultivars as porcine celebrities adorning the covers of Pigs Weekly and Porque. His "Judy" looks quite like Judy Garland, in black fedora and tuxedo jacket a la Summer Stock. The author's escalating outrage at her narrative's hijacking manifests in angry cross-outs and mock-vindictive, defacing cartoons. There's no question the joke is well-executed, and it's very funny for an audience that knows something about figs, but it will probably seem like more of the metaliterary same for most actual children. Joining the growing colony of self-referential meta-kid lit, this one-joke treatment has its moments. And the recipes work-for figs. (Picture book. 4-8)

April 1, 2015

Gr 2-4-The conceit of this book is that the author wrote all about figs, but her editor substituted the word pigs instead. The narrative consists of a story with a series of mistakes made by the editor with notes and frustrated asides made by the author. The tale begins with the history of figs and ends with recipes containing figs, all the while looking like a book about pigs. The conceit is humorous for a page or two but soon becomes tiresome. The story seems thin and the layout makes it challenging to read to multiple children. The illustrations are charming, with pigs tumbling across the pages and nesting in trees, but the illustrations cannot overcome the weak text. The intended audience is unclear. The illustrations would appeal to a primary-age child, but the meaning and humor are targeted at the third-grade level. Younger children might not understand the relationship between the editor and the author, as well as the editing process. VERDICT An additional purchase only.-Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2015
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* Don't let the friendly pig on the cover set you astray; this book is definitely not about pigs. Pigs absolutely weren't presented as medals' to the winners of the first Olympics in 776 BC, and, although they like a summer day as much as the next swine, they don't thrive in a full day of sun. Furious red pencil scrawls from the author explain the minor typographical error: Figs, people. These are facts about FIGS! It's a small gag, but Palatini and Groenink carry it to uproarious heights. Groenink's illustrations mimic historical art styles while retaining a comically cartoonish quality, and his pigsso many happy, darling piggies!are the star of the show. Check out the warm, pastoral scene where a couple on a picnic picks a soft piggy from a low-hanging branch. A recipe for pig, feta, and arugula pizza shows a pig cheerily sitting atop a circle of dough. Even little ones who can't quite grasp the spelling error at the heart of the joke will still be tickled by the absurdity of the pictures and the escalating over-the-top cross-outs, angry doodles, and all-caps exclamations of DOWN WITH PIGS. Kiddos will go hog wild for this farcical romp.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)