Pig the fibber by Aaron Blabey

Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743629062
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Humour. Lying. Relationships. The irrepressible Pig the Pug is back with Blabey's hilarious dog staring out from the front cover, a crayon in his mouth, the word Pug crossed out and fibber overwritten. Pig's eyes are nervously darting to the left, knowing he has done something wrong and waiting for his discovery, a story already developed to explain what happened. So much on the front cover! And the fun continues inside as we see the poor sausage dog, Trevor, lounging cheerily on his bed, unaware of the blame about to be apportioned to him.
I love Blabey's work. His rhyming stories are filled with interest and layers of meaning. They appeal to the reader and listener, to the child and the adult, the discussion ensuing from the tightly controlled stories always a treat, while the illustrations so full of character and mirth, are sure to engage any reader in the insights offered into human behaviour.
As the reader turns the pages of this book, Pig's misdeeds are shown. Each double page has Pig doing something wrong, and then blaming the hapless Trevor. Many children will recognise the character, friend, sibling or foe who blames them for someone else's bad deeds, and so will turn the pages to see how this story is resolved.
Pig wants to get at the bag of biscuits placed in a high shelf. He lets off a huge stink, blaming Trevor, of course, which clears the room, and while no one is about scrambles on a chair to get at the bag, with disastrous consequences.
A lovely story of greediness, of blaming others, of lying to get your own way, children will laugh out loud at Pig and his antics, and love the resolution where the long suffering Trevor still has enough compassion in his heart to help Pig in his convalescence.
Fran Knight