Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Annelie Geissler
Categories
Children’s picture books

PIGS DIG A ROAD

Carrie Finison Brian Biggs

A fun and heavy machinery-filled picture book featuring pig construction workers that's perfect for fans of Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site.

Construction crew chief Rosie and her team are building a new road to the Hamshire County Fair. It's time to put on hard hats and boots, grab their hammers and stakes, and, of course, bring out the big trucks: bulldozers, excavators, pavers, rollers, and more! Unfortunately, work with Rosie's crew doesn't always go as planned, and Curly, Pinky, and Stinky end up making one huge mess. Rosie is there to save the day, but she can't do such a big job all by herself. The county fair is starting soon, and there's only one way to get the road done on time... teamwork! Carrie Finison writes poetry, stories, and books for kids, including the picture books Don't Hug Doug (He Doesn't Like It); Dozens of Doughnuts; Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story; and Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time For School! She lives outside Boston with her husband, their son, and their daughter, and two cats who allow her to work in their attic office. Visit Carrie at CarrieFinison.com and follow her on Twitter @CarrieFinison. Brian Biggs is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of many books for children, including the Frank Einstein series by Jon Scieszka, Noisy Night by Mac Barnett, and What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Drive? by Mark Lee. He is also the author of two picture book series, Everything Goes and Tinyville Town. Brian lives in Philadelphia with his wife, two teenage kids, and several animals. Learn more at mrbiggs.com or follow him on Instagram @BrianBiggsStudio.

Available products
Book Published 2024-09-10 by Putnam

Comments

Digital cartoon vignettes by Biggs chronicle a cascade of comic mishaps.For collaboration and construction enthusiasts, this work about leading through empowering others (even unintentionally) underlines the capacity for anyoneor any pigto steer.

Estonian: Rahva Raamat

Succinct, rhyming verses, perfect for reading out loud, take readers on a rubble-rousing adventure . . . Enjoyably abuzz with slapstick chaos, Biggs' illustrations do the text's many action words justice. A buoyant story about teamwork, sure to entertain and resonate with young readers.

Truck mavens will especially appreciate this humorous tale, expressed in jaunty rhymes; they'll enjoy observing favorites doing their special tasks, while others will learn about specific trucks' functions. Commendably, Finison and Biggs portray female charactersindeed, one in a supervisory positionin typically male-dominated jobs. Biggs' thick-lined, digital illustrations of expressive, industrious pigs are comically lively; onomatopoeic words are occasionally incorporated into the artwork. A cheery tale with a much-needed message: The road to success is predicated on collaboration.

Hardhat-wearing pigs hurriedly build a road to reach the county fair. While Rosie stays up all night and "plans," "outlines," and "calculates," her peersCurly, Pinky, and Stinkysleep. At work, the pigs follow a predictable pattern. Rosie directs; the crew messes up; Rosie fixes the problem. When the trio stakes the road incorrectly, for example, Rosie "checks the GPS / and straightens out / their crooked mess." When their load of dirt and rocks misses the dump truck, "Rosie shows them how it's done." And so it goes. Until.poor Rosie needs a nap. Thankfully, Finison doesn't simply flip traditional gender roles. Sure, she casts Rosie as a smart, problem-solving construction worker. But when Rosie needs a break, the author gives her oneand the crew works together to finish the job. Biggs's detailed, motion-filled scenes will delight building enthusiasts. Compositionally, the art also supports the text's theme of collaboration. Early on, Biggs offsets Rosie-in-charge from the others, framed or separated by the gutter, while in later more cooperative scenes, the four pigs occupy the same picture space. And, like any good construction story, this one's packed with opportunities for enthusiasts to spot their favorite vehicles.