Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jen Corace

PreK-2. Little Oink is very different from other pigs. He hates messes! He's a neat pig and just wishes he could be like his friends and clean his room instead of mess it up the way his parents insist that he do. Reminicent of Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat and illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, kids will enjoy reading this story about one very unpiglike pig!

This would make a good storytime selection, especially when paired with Gregory. This book could be used in many ways as the pictures offer a lot in the way of discussion and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser on account of its humor!

Elephants Cannot Dance by Mo Willems

PreK-2. Piggie tries to teach Gerald (the elephant) to dance. They try simple moves like forward and back, but Gerald just can't dance. In frustration, Gerald expresses his feelings in such a physical manner that a few mice recognize the newest dance sensation: The Elephant!

A must-read funny book with limited text that's great for beginning readers!

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams

The classic tale about rfrienship between a spider and pig. Wilbur is born the runt of the litter, but thanks to a little girl named Fern her father keeps him instead of killing him. Wilbur and all the other farm animals can talk and Wilbur soon learns to fear that the farmer may still kill him. Charlotte's vows to help her friend and she decides to use her web to show the farmer just how special Wilbur is. When messages like "Some Pig" and "Terrific" appear in Charlotte's web Wilbur gains some celebrity attention drawing people to the farm from far and wide to see the special pig.

As Wilbur is getting ready to go to the county fair he begins to worry about Charlotte. His friend just doesn't seem to have the same spunk. Charlotte is concerned about finishing her egg sac because she knows that her days are numbered. Eventually Charlotte tells Wilbur that soon she will die, but she tries to make Wilbur focus on the fact that he will live and that should be celebrated. Wilbur plays the hero when he saves Charlotte's egg sac, ensuring that Charlotte's babies will be born. When the baby spiders do emerge from the egg sac all but three float away. The three who remain befriend Wilbur, which makes him happy even though he will never forget Charlotte.

Genre: Fiction/Classic

White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte's web. New York: Harper.

Bed Hogs by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Howard Fine

A rhyming, counting story about sleeping arrangements. Runt, the smallest pig in his family, has a hard time getting a good night's sleep with his drooling, stinky, giggling, dancing, snoring family members. He kicks them out of the straw one by one until he;s all alone and he still can't sleep. Runt calls all his family back and then he can finally rest. A great book for storytime. The text supports print recognition and narrative skills.

Genre: Picture Books-Fiction

DiPucchio, K (2004). Bed hogs. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.