Rosie Gets Ready (Rosie’s Routines #1)

A pale pink pig prepares for her day in this slow-burning comedy by Ruzzier (Bianca and the Butterfly), a series kickoff that makes smart use of the picture book form. After awakening “in her neat little room,” Rosie gets ready without missing a beat: she chooses soap bubbles (“English rose!”), expertly adjusts the bath temperature (“The water is too hot. She adds some cold”), and washes carefully (“her ears, outside and inside... her belly button”). The picture of tidiness, Rosie also keeps the floor dry, meticulously rinses the tub, and chooses a new outfit that “matches my shoes!” Delicate ink and watercolor illustrations render each small act with measured, understated wit, establishing the porcine protagonist as a figure who’s as orderly as her neat-as-a-pin surroundings. By the time Rosie is finally ready to face the world, readers may feel they know her through and through. But every step in this little gem is a setup for a triumphant, laugh-out-loud turn that goes whole hog on embracing all facets of one’s nature. Ages 3–6. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)