A Fox, a Pig, and a Dig

K-Gr 2–At the beach, comically dissimilar friends Pig and Fox continue their adventures, in which Fox attempts to trick Pig in the sand and sea, and gets his comeuppance. This fourth title in the series uses the same visual and narrative format as its successful predecessors: in three short chapters, Fenske employs character-specific speech bubbles, background colors to indicate pacing, and a low word count with a predictable and rhythmic rhyme scheme. Boldly outlined cartoon illustrations follow the action, and there are fun callbacks from the other titles. Along with the bouncy dialogic storytelling that ensures word recognition and fluency, these stories are morality plays writ small. Pig’s persistent cluelessness is no match for Fox, for whom “play” and “trick” go hand in hand. The tricks always backfire though, leveling the playing field and putting him squarely in the canon of other storybook foxes who are too smart for their own good. Even young readers will appreciate the irony of his failures.