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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Granny Gomez & Jigsaw, written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Scott Magoon. Hyperion, H B Fenn, 2010. $21.99 ages 5 and up


"Granny liked her big house. It had lots of room for her potted plants, her drums, her mountain-climbing gear and her jigsaw puzzles."

The house is perfect for her; but there are times when lonlieness crowds in and makes her contemplate a companion. While talking with her plants about the company that would be suitable, they offer no advice. William's visit sparks another thought, for he thinks that:

"'Cats and dogs are nice, but they are not very special,' William said. 'You need a special pet.'"

Off he goes with his idea and Granny is soon the recipient of a new baby...a pig! Granny and Jigsaw find that they have much in common and they happily share Granny's space. The fact that he doesn't remain a 'little' pig soon causes a host of difficulties, as you will discover when you read this book.

This is a Granny not averse to hard work, with lots of ideas up her sleeve. A barn is the order of the day. Granny dons safety glasses and wields hammer, power saw and nails to construct Jigsaw's new home. The barn has everything that Jigsaw needs, except Granny. They soon discover how much they enjoy each other's company and a new solution must be found. It doesn't take long!

The story moves along with humor and great affection as the two flourish in their shared life. The characters are appealing and will win favor with their audience. The artwork is understated, with soft sweeps of color and details that give the reader additional information about the two.

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