Piggins

Piggins
by, Jane Yolen
Illustrated by, Jane Dyer

In this story, it is Piggins, Mr. and Mrs. Reynard's butler, who solves the mystery of the missing diamond lavaliere. When the lavaliere is stolen during a very elegant dinner party, Piggins spots all the clues and solves the mystery.

The dialogue in this story evokes the image of formality from another era. I hear this book being read with an English accent. The story may introduce children to new vocabulary, using words like "lavaliere," "motorcar," "scullery," "balderdash" and "poppycock." The story includes many characters, each illustrated in great detail by Jane Dyer. A tortoise (Professor T. Ortoise), Lady and Lord Ratsby (rats), Inspector Baywater (hound dog), Mr. and Mrs. Reynard (foxes) and Piggins (pig butler) are just a few. The detailed illustrations add a great deal to the story, and readers may find themselves looking for clues in the illustrations.

I think this would be a fun story to read with children when working on developing the skill of using predictions while reading. Throughout the story, clues can be found in the text and illustrations that may help readers predict who the lavaliere thief is.