The Runaway Piggy/El cochinito fugitivo

PreS-Gr 2—In this take on the classic story, "The Gingerbread Man," the cookie in question is a zesty pig that is certain he will never be caught. Predictably, people try—but Piggy's eagle eye is alive to the coffee that each one carries, a sure sign that they feel he would be the ideal complement. It is not a fox that catches him this time, but sweet little Rosa, who takes the piggy across the street in her backpack and gives him to her teacher as a lovely gift from her mother's bakery. The charming, brightly colored illustrations are vibrant with activity, imparting a lively sense of the urban setting. What really sells this telling, though, is the CD which provides a compelling reading of the story, complemented by appropriate music and sound effects. The narration, both in English and Spanish, is expressive, clear, and humorous. The CD includes a bilingual, English only, and Spanish only reading—complete with page-turn signals. This enhanced version is preferable to The Gingerbread Man: El Hombre de Pan de Jengibre (Keepsake Stories) by Catherine McCafferty (Carson-Dellosa Pub., 2001) or Eric Blair's El Ninito De Jengibre/The Gingerbread Man (Picture Window Books, 2006). A sound addition to collections serving primary age bilingual or ELL populations.—Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA