JULIUS

The author of When I Am Old With You (1990) and other celebrations of loving companionship teams up with the mad colorist of When Cats Dream (1992) for a tale of a black family that finds itself saddled with a huge, exuberant pet. Maya has always wanted a horse or an older brother, but her traveling Grandaddy brings her an Alaskan pig instead (``Something that will teach you fun and sharing''). Like a teenager from hell, Julius romps through the house munching on junk food, dropping crumbs, listening to loud music, and staying up till the wee hours. He and Maya are inseparable; and as he teaches her how to dance to jazz records and eat peanut butter right from the jar, she firmly teaches him table manners and cleaner habits. Using ink, paint, fabric swatches, and even coffee spatters, Pilkey creates a riotous sequence in which Maya's happy face contrasts comically with her parents' glowers while her adored pink friend floats with bulbous grace. (Picture book. 4-7)