If you give a pig a party, it's bound to be as silly--and messy--as when you give a pig a pancake. Once again, a stoic child works endlessly to fulfill the fun-loving animal's every whim. Fans will appreciate the illustrations' amusing details and will easily spot a familiar mouse and moose among the animal friends who get this party started. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr. 2. As it turns out, if you give a pig a pancake, she'll eventually want a party--with balloons, a party dress, and guests. In the latest of the best-selling demanding-animal-meets-long-suffering-human series, the small pig protagonist needs as much activity and as many supplies as ever. This time, there's a search for friends, which leads to a street fair, a game of hide-and-seek, a sleepover, and the necessity of linens for a pillow fight. A blanket fortress needs balloons decorations. Balloons! They scream out for a party. . . . In Bond's crisp, cheerful illustrations, the pig's joie de vivre is contagious, except, that is, to her expressionless, ultra-accommodating little girl caretaker. Even considering its deliberate if-then pattern, the story feels loosely hinged, but young fans of the series will squeal with delight to see their pancake-loving pig once again. --Karin Snelson Copyright 2005 Booklist

The perennially popular party theme, paired with the playfully persistent porcine star of If You Give a Pig a Pancake, ensures that these collaborators' latest addition to the series (which began with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie) will be eagerly celebrated by their fans. After decorating the house with balloons and donning her favorite dress, the party gal attempts to phone her friends to invite them to her fate. Since they aren't home, she jumps in a bicycle basket as her accommodating caregiver transports her to search for them. On the way, they come across a street fair, where the energetic pig finds her pals and enthusiastically enjoys the amusements before they all head home to party. The vision of the girl pedaling her bike with eight animals aboard including a snake coiled atop her head will bring on ample giggles, as will the sight of the pajama-clad menagerie (the snake wears a sock) preparing for a sleepover. Bond makes particularly clever use of the spreads when conveying the mayhem of the bumper cars and pillow fight scenes. As in the earlier volumes of this serendipitous series, this caper comes satisfyingly full circle, with the pig asking for a party all over again. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved