The Marvelous, Amazing, Pig-Tastic Gracie LaRoo!

by Marsha Qualey, Kristyna Litten (Illustrator)

Overview

Gracie LaRoo is a synchronized swimming pig extraordinaire! Follow Gracie as she shoots for the gold medal; uses her dazzling moves in a Piggywood movie; visits her old school and shows her former coach just how hard synchronized swimming can be; and captivates a cruise ship audience with her signature spins. This easy-to-read, beautifully illustrated chapter book by seasoned author Marsha Qualey will make new readers squeal with delight as they learn about the marvelous, the amazing, the pig-tastic Gracie LaRoo!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781515814580
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	03/01/2018
Series:	Gracie LaRoo
Edition description:	Combined
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Marsha Qualey is the author of many books for readers young and old. When she’s not writing she likes to read, take walks by the river, ski in the winter, garden in the summer, and play with her cats all year ‘round. Like Bumble B., she has very good friends who make life fun.   Marsha has four grown-up children and two grandchildren. She lives with her husband in Wisconsin.

Kristyna Litten is an award winning children's book illustrator and author. After studying illustration at Edinborough College of Art, she now lives and works from Yorkshire in the UK, with her pet rabbit Herschel.

Kristyna Litten is an award winning children's book illustrator and author. After studying illustration at Edinborough College of Art, she now lives and works from Yorkshire in the UK, with her pet rabbit Herschel.

Interviews

• Early reader text with cute illustrations lets kids read independently • Adorable story of a precocious and talented pig will attract followers of Olivia and Mercy Watson • Great for parents who want to read aloud to their kids or to help them read on their own.

Editorial Reviews

What’s more charming than a story about a synchronized-swimming pig? Four stories! This darling collection for early readers stars Gracie LaRoo, a young water ballet star, as she performs in four very different venues. . . .Each story is divided into four chapters and winsomely illustrated with full-page and spot artwork that favors aqua and peachy pinks. In each, Gracie overcomes an obstacle and stays happily true to herself. The agreeable tales and reader-friendly layout make this well suited to independent readers ready to dive into chapter books.

Booklist

STARRED REVIEW! ...this book is a comforting welcome to readers venturing into early chapter books. Interspersed illustrations feature soft sketchy lines drawn with gentle shades of turquoise and piggy-peach, while the wardrobe choices of Gracie and her companions are sure to catch the attention of fashion-forward kids. . . .Whether readers start front to back, or read chapters in any order they please, they’ll delight in Gracie’s many talents, connect with her self-doubts and uncertainties, and revel in the adventures of Gracie LaRoo.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

02/01/2018
Gr 1–3—Gracie LaRoo, a young pig, loves to perform with her water ballet team, the Water Sprites. In this collection of four books, each with four short chapters, Gracie uses her skills to face the challenges that come her way. First, Gracie must overcome her tendency to get distracted in order to help her team win at the Pig Jubilee championships. Next, Gracie finds a way to get past her disappointment at being a stunt double in a movie. In the third entry Gracie and her team must figure out how to win over a cruise ship audience. And finally, Gracie faces off with her old school principal and coach when she arrives to give a demonstration and speech at her former school. Gracie proves that courage and confidence can help one face life's challenges. The bright, colorful illustrations break up the text nicely and make the stories quite appealing. Each chapter is four to five pages long, which will help new readers build confidence. VERDICT For general purchase where upbeat and charmingly illustrated early chapter books are needed.—Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

School Library Journal

2018-02-03
Meet Gracie LaRoo, a sweet swine who loves to swim.In the first of this collection of four pig tales, young Gracie suffers performance anxiety at the Pig Jubilee, a synchronized-swimming contest. She doesn't want to let her slightly older teammates down, but this is her first competition. When her purple spangly bag (with all her swimming gear) goes missing, Gracie is even more distracted. She perseveres (finding the bag) and gains the confidence to help her team win. Next, thanks to her swimming skills, she's asked to be in a Hog Heaven Studios picture with famed actress Tilda Swinetune. Gracie is anxious again, but her creativity solves a problem on the set, and movie magic ensues. Later, Gracie and her troupe run into problems performing on a cruise ship, and then she returns to her alma trotter to speak to the piglets about her success. Qualey's easily read, short tales for those just attempting chapters will satisfy, though more-mature readers may find that the facile solutions to problems don't hold their interest. The stories exude girl power, however, since the tales are full of confident female…pigs. Litten's colored-pencil illustrations grace nearly every page and match the text in tone and energy.This piggie will find her followers among the graduates of Peppa Pig and the like. (Fantasy. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews