Gracie LaRoo at Pig Jubilee by Marsha Qualey (review)

Meet the masterfully creative and talented Gracie LaRoo, who is “the youngest pig to join a world-renowned synchronized swimming team!” Gracie is getting all kinds of attention, but it isn’t always easy to speak your mind or to get others to listen when you’re the youngest pig in such a big sport. Complete with a table of contents, this book is a comforting welcome to readers venturing into early chapter books. Interspersed illustrations feature soft sketchy lines drawn with gentle shades of turquoise and piggy-peach, while the wardrobe choices of Gracie and her companions are sure to catch the attention of fashion-forward kids. Each chapter treats a splash-tastic adventures such as Gracie’s first competition with her team the Water Sprites at the Pig Jubilee; her acting, stunting and co-directing in a movie; her performing with the Water Sprites on a cruise line; and her returning to her old elementary school to give a speech. In each, Gracie is tasked with finding her voice and developing confidence that her ideas are worth hearing. Whether readers start front to back, or read chapters in any order they please, they’ll delight in Gracie’s many talents, connect with her self-doubts and uncertainties, and revel in the adventures of Gracie LaRoo.