Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata

Abstract

Reviewed by: Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata Kiri Palm Kadohata, Cynthia Saucy; illus. by Marianna Raskin. Atheneum, 2020 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781442412781 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781442412804 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys M Gr. 3-6 The oldest of a set of quadruplets, Becca doesn't feel like she stands out the way her brothers do, so when she comes across a skinny, mange-riddled piglet, she decides she's found her purpose. The piglet, whom Becca names Saucy, is destructive, impudent, and ravenous, but Becca and her family are charmed by her insolence and hijinks. Just before the family rehomes the growing Saucy to a local farm sanctuary, Becca and her brothers discover that Saucy escaped from a factory farm and Becca is determined to make sure Saucy isn't the last pig she saves. The story is light on plot and heavy on porcine antics, with Saucy's mischievous misdeeds filling the bulk of the pages, but the humor lacks impact. There's little in the way of character depth despite a number of suggested set-ups, and the turn from animal story to factory-farm activism jars. Raskin's illustrations provide images of familial love and pig appeal that animal lovers will enjoy, but readers looking for a twenty-first century Charlotte's Web will have better luck sticking with Sharon Creech and Kate DiCamillo. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois