Slumgullion, the Executive Pig: A Tale Told in Rhyme of a Swine in His Prime

To escape becoming porkchops, Slumgullion Pyg passes himself off as human until his tail reveals the truth and he learns that accepting his real self is best.

This odd cautionary tale, about a lad who finds a second nose, admonishes against the hazards of greed. Told in rhyme, the text apparently aims for lighthearted loopiness a la Seuss, but unfortunately comes off as just plain silly, as the young man's extra proboscis helps him sniff out not only such garden-variety scents as roses and muffins, but also such curiosities as "a man growing a beard twelve-feet long" and "someone reading a very long book." The cartoon-like illustrations are colorful but flat, and the main character, with his flyaway hair, close-set eyes, and perpetual gee-whiz expression, is downright unappealing. The verse, moreover, is often forced ("All of these smells were making me hungry / When suddenly a new batch of smells stung me"). In the end, the young man sniffs out a sad noseless boy, but he's loathe to share his olfactory bounty, until a sneeze turns the tables on him. All in all, a disappointing fantasy. Ages 4-8.
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