Norman is a tidy, organized pig who never misses church, and is sure God likes him. He has little tolerance for pigs not as efficient as he is. Enter Sidney, always late, always sloppy, usually frustrated. One day both pigs get invitations from God. Norman feels happiness and pride at the invite; Sidney is terrified. But an interesting thing happens when the pigs meet God. God tells Norman that He loves him, but that his goodness is not the reason why; in fact, Norman is not as good as he thinks he is. Moreover, God loves even those Norman looks down on. God also tells Sidney that He loves him--three times with no recriminations. Young children may not completely understand the message about acceptance and unconditional love coming from the unseen God, but they will be drawn in by Gerard's outstanding pictures, executed primarily in gold tones, which capture the personalities of both pigs, whose eventual reconciliation seems particularly sweet. Notes explain the author's purpose and offer ideas on using the book. Ilene Cooper
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