Heidi Hart

We got this from the library this week because James Marshall (of George and Martha fame) and Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are, duh) are both old favorites, and we were not at all disappointed. Swine Lake is about a down-on-his luck wolf who stumbles into an unfamiliar part of town, lucks into tickets to the Boarshoi Ballet performance of Swine Lake, and--even as he plans to massacre the dancers to satisfy his own nefarious appetites--winds up falling in love with the ballet instead.

Readers familiar with Marshall's and Sendak's other works will find among the fabulous illustrations several clever references to other favorites: a child in the theatre audience clutches a George-the-hippo stuffed lovey, and another pig is reading a newspaper story about The Stupids.