IT’S A BIG WORLD, LITTLE PIG!
By Kristi Yamaguchi, illustrated by Tim Bowers (Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks, 2012, 32 pp.,
$16.99, hardcover)

Sansei Olympic figure skating medalist Kristi Yamaguchi has written this sequel to last year’s “Dream Big, Little Pig.” Our heroine Poppy the Pig travels to Paris for an ice skating competition. Her apprehension about traveling far from home is soothed by her friends’ and family’s encouragement. They tell her that “everyone smiles in the same language.”

Once in Paris, she makes friends with athletes from China, Italy, Japan and Australia. With each new friend she discovers common interests and her fears subside. When it is her turn to perform, she is able to skate “from her heart” and relish her newfound friends and the excitement of the trip.

Appropriate for ages 4 and up, this picture book features colorful, silly animal-athletes with an upbeat message.