Granny Gomez & Jigsaw
by Deborah Underwood
illustrated by Scott Magoon
Date: 2010
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: Open Library
Granny Gomez's baby pig, Jigsaw, is the perfect roommate. He eats watermelon and watches cooking shows with her-he even does puzzles. But Jigsaw grows up-and out-quickly. Soon he's too big to get up Granny's back steps. It seems the only thing to do is build Jigsaw a barn. But once Jigsaw moves in, the two miss each other like crazy! Surely Granny and Jigsaw can find a solution, if they just put the pieces together. . . .
Playful language, subtle repetition, and Scott Magoon's signature watercolor art make this funny story of friendship a book that kids will want read aloud again and again.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
Having read Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson series, I have a pretty high standard that pet pig books need to achieve. Granny Gomez & Jigsaw, while cute, doesn't really measure up to that other series.
The writing is strong enough, and the illustrations are fine. But the plot seems a bit weak, and there's little of the humour that's the hallmark of DiCamillo's series. Basically, Granny Gomez gets a baby pig. But pigs grow, and soon Jigsaw is so big that he breaks through the porch steps. So off they go to the hardware store to pick up the supplies to build a barn. When it's finished, it's almost as nice as the house! It has its own kitchen, shelves full of puzzles, and even a TV. But there's one thing it doesn't have, and it's the one thing that Jigsaw wants most of all.
I might recommend this to readers who haven't yet read the Mercy Watson books. But if they already have, then Granny Gomez & Jigsaw probably isn't going to measure up, and it'll probably be a bit of a disappointment.
Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Overall: 3.17 out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment