Louise Brueggeman (Booklist, Oct. 15, 2003 (Vol. 100, No. 4))
A fox is saved the trouble of hunting for his dinner when a tasty-looking piglet arrives at his door. It's his lucky day--or so he thinks. Then, the wily piglet outfoxes the fox: Wouldn't the fox prefer a clean pig to roast? The fox gets busy heating bathwater. Next comes a spaghetti dinner to fatten Pig up, followed by a luxurious massage to make his meat more tender. The fox finally collapses in exhaustion, and the sated piglet scampers home to a warm fire, ready to plan his next "lucky day." The discerning child will find the fox's reaction to his lost dinner depicted on the back cover. Reminiscent of her earlier Wolf's Chicken Stew (1987), this well-paced, delightful book plays on traditional story patterns, enhanced by Kasza's lively illustrations. Children will relate this tale to the humor of a child outwitting a grown-up. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2003, Putnam, $15.99. K-Gr. 2.

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
A hungry fox is delighted when a piglet turns up at his door. But the piglet convinces him that he needs to be thoroughly scrubbed before being cooked. Then he has the fox cook and feed him dinner to fatten him up. Finally he gets the fox to massage him to make him tender. The fox does such a good job, commended by the piglet, that he is exhausted and passes out. Instead of his lucky day, it turns out to be the piglet's. Happily back home, he is planning his next "visit." The classical confrontation gets particular zip from the deftly comic colored drawings in ink and gouache. The exaggerated gestures and facial expressions, with details like the boat in piglet's bath, fox's tube of "tooth-sharpener" and jar of "claw polish," piglet's map of the neighborhood and list of possible victims, all add to the giggles. Kids can write their own sequels to this one. 2003, G. P. Putnam's Sons, $15.99. Ages 3 to 8.

Laura Hummel (Children's Literature)
As a hungry fox was preparing to hunt for his dinner, he heard a knock on the door. It was a "delicious-looking piglet." Declaring that it must be his lucky day, the fox begins dinner preparations, but the pig quickly points out that he is quite dirty. Fox collects wood, builds a fire, and fetches water. The piglet is being salt and peppered in the pan when he points out his small size. The fox then gathers tomatoes, makes spaghetti, and bakes cookies. The day continues with fox running and fetching and with the pig getting bathed, fed, and massaged. Guess whose lucky day it really was! "Dinner" turned out to be a wily fellow and perhaps the entire day was a set-up. The delightful tale is sure to appeal to children and adults alike. Playful illustrations and wonderful animal expressions capture the fun in this rollicking tale. 2003, GP Putnam's Sons, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2004)
A hungry fox can't believe his luck when a pig actually shows up on his doorstep. "Oh no!" screams the piglet, who's mistaken the fox's house for Rabbit's. "Oh yes!" the fox gleefully replies, grabbing the pig and getting out the frying pan. But all is not what it seems in Keiko Kasza's crafty tale. The fox's dinner preparations grow more and more complex as the pig points out how dirty he is (resulting in a nice warm bath), how scrawny he is (a nice big meal to fatten him up), and how tough he is (a tenderizing massage). By the night's end, Fox is too exhausted to cook the pig, while the sly swine has had a treatment worthy of the finest spa. Kasza delivers a cunning ending that makes an already hilarious story even funnier. This delightful book will make a terrific read-aloud. CCBC categories: Picture Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers. 2003, Putnam, 32 pages, $15.99. Ages 3-7.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 15))
It's become predictable, this story of the pig outfoxing the fox, but Kasza's version does sport his lively art and a measure of dry humor. When a piglet comes knocking on Mr. Fox's door, the fox can't believe his luck; he's not used to delivery service. The piglet is just about to be tucked in the oven, when he suggests a few improvements to Mr. Fox. Wouldn't he taste better if he were washed first-"Just a thought, Mr. Fox"-and plumped up and perhaps massaged to tenderize the meat? The fox agrees that he would, rushing madly about scrubbing, feeding, and working the piglet's tissues, and promptly falling into an exhausted swoon. The pig is last seen back in his pen, thumbing through his address book-Mr. Bear, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Coyote-getting ready to work the same ruse on another carnivore. Fun enough, though no self-respecting four-year-old will be very worried about this little porker's fate. 2003, Putnam, $15.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 4 to 7. © 2003 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2004)
Kasza inverts the usual relationship between pig and fox to tell a child-pleasing tale full of humor, surprise, and wit (the pig's). When a little piglet (mistakenly, we think) knocks on a fox's door, the fox is all set for roast pig for dinner. However, the piglet has a few polite and helpful suggestions that result in the piglet receiving a hot bath, a home-cooked meal, and a massage. The illustrations are full of narrative propulsion and humorous detail. Category: Picture Books. 2003, Putnam, 32pp, $15.99. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 1: Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration.

Carolyn Jennings (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 16, No. 4))
This is another funny tale about a would-be-predator being outwitted by his prey by the author of The Wolf’s Chicken Stew. In this case, Fox thinks it is his lucky day when a piglet mistakenly knocks on his door looking for his friend Rabbit. Piglet resigns himself rather quickly to becoming a pork roast, but he has a few humble suggestions for the fox. When he points out that he’s small, dirty, and tough, the fox bathes him, feeds him, and gives him a massage! By the end of the day, Fox is exhausted, and Piglet heads home with cookies. At the end of the book, Piglet is relaxing by the fire checking off names of animals to visit: Fox, Coyote, Wolf, and Bear. Apparently, it was no mistake that he ended up in Fox’s kitchen after all. The plot and pictures are simple enough to be understood but witty enough to be highly entertaining to young children. This would be a good book to use in conjunction with The Three Little Pigs for a contrasting point of view. Fiction, Highly Recommended. Grades PreK-2. 2003, Putnam, Unpaged., $15.99. Ages 3 to 8.