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Synopsis
A large, toothy, mean-looking wolf zealously stalks Preston the pig. But each time the wolf gets close, Preston suddenly changes course and unknowingly eludes his pursuer. Colin McNaughton’s humorous illustrations enhance the element of surprise each time Preston “outsmarts” the wolf. Young readers will laugh with delight as this suspenseful tale unfolds. “Zany fun that’s perfect for young audiences.”—School Library Journal
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1-Disaster waits in the form of a wild-eyed, drooling wolf, but you couldn't prove it by Preston the Pig. Children meet him on his way home from school, the wolf's shadow lurking ominously behind him ``when SUDDENLY!'' the young porker remembers his mother had asked him to go to the store. Many more hilariously breathtaking moments follow as he unknowingly foils the predator. McNaughton peppers the narrative with big, bold use of the word ``SUDDENLY,'' and readers are sure they will turn the page to discover fat little Preston locked in the beast's mangy jaws. Instead, the wolf encounters one disaster after another: falling off the school roof; swallowing a big, tough bully; and crashing a steamroller into a wall. When the pig arrives home, it looks like he may meet his nasty fate as a strangely lupine silhouette lurks at the kitchen sink. True to Preston's luck, it is only his mother, who turns around to give him a big hug. Young readers will delight in knowing more than the happily oblivious porcine hero. The art is ideal for group sharing, on a much larger scale than Guess Who's Just Moved In Next Door? (Random, 1991; o.p.). This story will make a good combination with other fairy tales in which all the pigs might not experience such a happy ending, and is a refreshing relief from the classic tale where the only way to save your hide is to be smart, industrious, and build a very strong house. Zany fun that's perfect for young audiences.-Lisa S. Murphy, formerly at Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA