Sir Pigglesworth's Adventures in San Juan, PR

A porcine traveler visits another scenic locale for sunny thrills and a little bit of mischief in this seventh installment of a chapter book series.

Sir Pigglesworth and his family head to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ever excitable, Sir eagerly plans to enjoy snorkeling and swimming and soak up everything that the island has to offer. Imagine his surprise and delight when he runs into his old friends JoAnn and Bill in San Juan, too. They are there for a visit; JoAnn lived in the city as a child. Together, JoAnn, Bill, and Sir snorkel (the piglet is convinced a shark is out to get him, but it’s only a rock) and surf, and they even read to the children at JoAnn’s old school. They also savor sites like La Coca Falls, Old San Juan, and the El Yunque rain forest, and eat a delicious meal of rice and beans, chicken, and flan. But Sir gets into more trouble than he should—chasing animals, convincing himself that there are real-life butterflies in his stomach, and nearly knocking over an entire display of dresses. By the time he’s ready to give the graduation speech at a university (the whole point of his trip to Puerto Rico), he’s enjoyed many escapades—even though he failed to finally catch a lurking iguana. Seven books into this series, authors Wagner and Dean and illustrator Darchicourt (Sir Pigglesworth’s Adventures in Bermuda, 2016, etc.) have concocted even more capers for the main character. The authors’ vivid descriptions and depth of knowledge concerning Puerto Rico enhance the tale—thanks to the piglet’s exploits, families will likely be booking vacations there soon. This volume is part children’s story, part sightseeing guide. Some of Sir’s pranks read as a bit too silly. But it’s all in fun, and readers should have a fine time. The images bring a great deal of color to the story, especially when depicting the rain forest and the island’s assorted creatures. One caveat, though, involves how Darchicourt draws the characters of JoAnn and Bill. Meant to resemble Wagner and her husband, the illustrations look like caricatures, and they don’t really blend with the cartoon aspect of the rest of the pictures. But ultimately, Sir’s latest installment is an entertaining one that fans of the series should want to read. 

A charming, frothy tale of a piglet’s antics in the tropics.