School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Oliver and Amanda Pig return in another irresistible adventure, told in four fast-paced chapters. After an unsuccessful attempt at building the best fort ever, Oliver enlists the assistance of his two porcine buddies and they create a wonderful structure. Amanda asks to help, but is told, "No girls allowed." However, she and her friend are willing to share their fresh lemonade with the hot, tired boys if they can enter the fort. That night, the boys camp out in the fortress. After hearing a ghost story, they are spooked by a "snake" that turns out to be a garden hose. Then someone or something starts pinching them, and they discover that bringing a bug collection to a sleepover is not a great idea. In their panic, the friends accidentally destroy the fort. They end up sleeping in the house, where they make plans to rebuild. Simple dialogue, short sentences, and repeated words make this a great selection for beginning readers. The cartoon illustrations add amusing details and provide visual clues that support the text. An excellent choice for fans of the series as well as initiates.-Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. The title says it all: Oliver Pig decides to construct the best fort ever. And if the builder's sense of satisfaction is any gauge of success, he comes pretty close. Four chapters divide the story of his day into episodic chunks, all the better for inexperienced readers to swallow. In the first chapter, Oliver scrounges for building materials with very limited success. In the next, his friends Albert and James contribute materials and labor, but their construction work is interrupted by Oliver's sister Amanda's curiosity. In the third, the three workers enforce the traditional, treasured No girls allowed rule, only to rescind it in exchange for cups of Amanda's lemonade. Finally, a sleepover in the new fort ends unexpectedly. Like the other volumes in this long-running Dial Easy-to-Read subseries, the book has likable characters, gentle humor, and expressive pencil-and-watercolor illustrations. Old fans and new ones will enjoy a day in the life of this wonderfully childlike pig. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2006 Booklist
