by Lindsay Lee Johnson
Clarion Books, $16.99, 32 pages
Minnesotan author Lindsay Lee Johnson ,Soul Moon Soup and Hurricane Henrietta, and Belgian illustrator Carll Cneut City Lullaby, Antonio on the Other Side of the World, Getting Smaller come together to paint a delightful moonlight romp perfect for any parent’s bedtime repertoire. It is a picture book, a simple story in poetic rhyme of how ten piglets go out exploring under the full moon while their Mama is sound asleep. When the light of the full moon is hidden behind a cloud Mama pig must come to her piglets rescue and bring them safely back to bed. Cneut’s illustrations in acrylic paint light up Jonson’s verse. The book can be read over and over again, just the way children like at this age, to hear the beautiful sound of the verse. Every word may not be understood, the language is a little advanced for preschoolers, but they will enjoy discovering details of the story in the illustrations themselves. Best as a read-aloud for ages 2-6.
Catherine McMullen