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Reviewed by:
  • Granny Gomez & Jigsaw
  • Jeannette Hulick
Underwood, Deborah. Granny Gomez & Jigsaw; illus. by Scott Magoon. Disney/Hyperion, 2010 ISBN 978-0-7868-5216-1 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R 4-6 yrs

When Granny Gomez decides to get a pet to ease her loneliness, her young friend, William, sends her a "special pet": a baby pig. Unwilling to return the porker lest he become bacon, Granny reluctantly keeps him. Soon, however, they bond over their many shared interests—cooking shows, watermelon, and jigsaw puzzles (hence Jigsaw's name)—and all goes swimmingly until Jigsaw eventually grows so big that he becomes a problem in the house. Granny's solution is to build Jigsaw his very own barn next to her house, but she doesn't reckon on the strength of their attachment, so in the end, Granny comes to stay in the barn with her pet. Underwood's narrative is crisp and funny, and Granny and Jigsaw are a likable pair. The tale's ending is a little confusing (what will happen to Granny's big house that she's apparently leaving behind?), but the humor of the house pig will carry the day, and kids may enjoy creating their own "what happens next" ending. Magoon's art (watercoloresque digital sweeps of color with soft lines) features attractive figures that are both sturdy and subtle, with soft dark gray lines and brushily applied color adding texture and finer detail. Jigsaw's perky ears, smiling mien, and marshmallow-shaped pink nose make his appeal quite clear, and while Granny may wear her gray [End Page 307] hair in a decorous bun, she also sports some fetching capris and wields a hammer with vigor. Pair this with Borgo's Big Mama's Baby (BCCB 10/07) for a compatible duo about surprisingly compatible duos.

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