The three little superpigs Trick or treat?

PreS-K--The latest story about the three Superpigs finds them on a mission to save Fairyland's Halloween candy from the greedy Wicked Witch, only to have an unexpected encounter with the meddlesome Big Bad Wolf. With reimagined bits of "Hansel and Gretel," "The Three Little Pigs," and even "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," this story follows a simple if slightly crowded sequence, from the Superpigs' uncertainty about the right costumes to the Wicked Witch's trail of sweets to the pigs' subsequent capture by the Big Bad Wolf in a candied house. The happy resolution is sure to please the intended audience. Richly colored, digitally illustrated layouts offer close-ups of the roly-poly main characters. Crisp with smooth gradations, Evans's vividly saturated colors will tempt readers to follow the clumsy yet earnest three little heroes as they once again meet their nemesis. VERDICT This fairy tale mash-up adventure with a Halloween twist will make a great addition to festive read-alouds and plot sequence lessons.--Rachel Mulligan, Westampton, NJ

The Superpigs continue their zany spins on classic fairy tales with a Halloween twist. The Superpigs have settled on their costumes and are working on their performance for the Spooktacular Halloween Parade when they're summoned by Hansel and Gretel to save the stolen candy from the Wicked Witch. Once at her gingerbread house, they're alarmed to find their familiar foe, the Big Bad Wolf. Using their superskills, they save themselves and make it to the parade in style. Readers unfamiliar with the characters will wonder how the pigs come into their powers. At first, they seem completely and comically without super abilities. "Practice makes perfect," the text quips, but does practice without magic make pigs fly? This element aside, Evans' play on childhood classics uses just enough of the originals to make it familiar while still new. The Big Bad Wolf is a particularly fun character, surprising readers (and the pigs!), speaking in rhyme, and even showing up playfully at the end. The illustrations are bright and lively, depicting lots of fairy tale figures, with oranges and purples conveying an autumnal, evening mood. They're also very detailed, particularly the candy-lined gingerbread house and its lawn full of jack-o'-lanterns. Most of the characters are not human, but Hansel and Gretel are depicted with brown skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Updated, Halloween-ready fairy-tale foolery. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.