Product Description
“A story with the echoes of Seuss and Willems.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A boatload of giggles will keep the reader returning for more easy-to-read fun.”— Kirkus Reviews
The first book in the vibrant and laugh-out-loud funny early reader What This Story Needs series is perfect for fans of Dr. Seuss and Mo Willems!
What this story needs is a pig in a wig, on a boat in a moat with a frog, a dog, and a goat on a log...
As a panda in a blouse, a skunk on a trunk, and more hop on board, it becomes clear that what this story really needs is a bigger boat! Join Pig on an exciting boat ride as she discovers that life is more fun with friends in this fantastic, funny read-aloud about friendship.
What this reader needs are all the books in the series! What This Story Needs Is a Hush and a Shush What This Story Needs Is a Munch and a Crunch What This Story Needs Is a Bang and a Clang What This Story Needs Is a Vroom and a Zoom
From School Library Journal
Toddler-PreS—With its engaging word families and rhyming text, this circular narrative will delight fans of Laura Joffe Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (HarperCollins, 2005) and Mo Willems's "Elephant and Piggy" books (Hyperion). A pig in a wig is on a boat in a moat, where she picks up a frog, a dog, and a goat on a log. More animals are added to the mix, until Pig declares, "Hey!/It's getting crowded/in here,/don't you think?/Off of this boat/before we all sink!" One by one they disembark until she is the only one left on the boat. A spread in muted blue tones enforces the mood as readers view Pig all alone in her tiny boat. She realizes that she would rather have all her friends with her, so as the text states, "What this story needs now is…" a bigger boat appears that will hold everyone. Crisp, vibrant drawings are rendered in charcoal and painted digitally, creating an intensity that will draw children to the story. The composition is creative, with pig-themed elements appearing throughout: pink snouts cover the endpapers, a pig pulls part of a boat onto the title page, and the back cover shows Pig and her friends peeking over the jacket flap as she says, "Hey, Let's Play!" VERDICT This is a charming story to share one-on-one or in a storytime.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI
Review
“In a story with the echoes of Seuss and Willems, Virjan offers a very funny lesson about the unreliability of narrators.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A boatload of giggles will keep the reader returning for more easy-to-read fun.” — Kirkus Reviews
From the Back Cover
What this story needs
is a pig
in a wig
on a boat
with some friends
having fun
in the sun—
So come on board! Join Pig on an exciting boat ride where she discovers that life is a lot more fun with more friends.
About the Author
Emma J. Virján was born under an Aries moon on a Wednesday, her dad’s bowling night. She loves to draw and work in her garden, and she often lets her dog sleep on the couch. She makes her home in Austin, Texas, where she spends her days as an illustrator and graphic designer. Unlike Pig, Emma has never worn a wig, but she is thinking of buying one—a red one, of course. Visit her at \ www.emmavirjan.com.
