Kids into books: The Flying Pig and the Daredevil Dog

This week's title: The Flying Pig and the Daredevil Dog

Author: Alan Trussell-Cutten

Illustrator: Mike Spoor

Publisher:Shortland Publications, $7.80

Age Group: 9-11 years


"Well, it seems that chickens are very different from us. They have funny things called wings that they flap when they fly, like this." Dog did her best impersonation of a chicken flapping its wings. Pig tried hard not to laugh. "But here's the important part. When they're not flying, they don't flap them. What does that tell you?"

"They're tired?"

"No!" exclaimed Dog. "Flapping makes them fly. You can't have one without the other! Besides, both words start with the same letters, so they must go together!"

"But they end the same way too, 'flapping' and 'flying'. Both end in 'ing'!" Pig remarked.

"You're right, of course, Pig, but let's get back to the point," said Dog. "The fact is that wings are necessary for flying." She took a stick and began drawing an equation in the dirt. "Look here. C stands for chicken, W stands for wings, and F stands for flying. C plus W equals F."