The Pig Scramble written by Jessica Kinney and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen

ABOUT THE BOOK
"Every summer, toward the end of August, when the harvest was in full swing and the air hinted at the coming autumn, Clarence would start to get excited, for it meant just one thing – the County Fair. For little boys on a farm, there isn't anything much more exciting than riding the Ferris wheel and eating salty French fries drenched in vinegar followed by a piping-hot doughboy dusted with powdered sugar.

The chance to eat sweet and salty treats wasn't Clarence's only reason for wanting to go to the fair. No, he had a much more important reason: THE PIG SCRAMBLE."

Clarence feels like he's not big enough and not helpful enough, especially compared to his two big brothers. He just can't seem to find his place on the family farm. But not every little boy has an uncle like Clarence's Uncle Leon. And when it comes time for the annual county fair, it's Uncle Leon who gives Clarence the advice and self-confidence he needs to turn things around.

Accompanied by Sarah Brannen's wonderful illustrations of an adorable pig every kid will want to take home, The Pig Scramble is perfect for read-aloud story times or for newly independent readers. County fair fans will appreciate author Jessica Kinney's detailed depiction of this beloved New England tradition.

REVIEWS
"Warm, colorful illustrations depict life on a farm for Clarence and his siblings, showing an earnest Clarence trying to do all his brothers can... This old-fashioned story is warm and comforting... the gentle suspense will draw readers in, and the satisfying end is its own reward. A realistic look at life on a farm, this selection provides an understanding portrait of a youngest child and extols the virtues of patience and friendship."
– Kirkus Reviews

Kinney, a first-time children's book author, offers a quiet story of a Maine farm boy who's eager to fill the shoes of his two older brothers (except, maybe, when they're shoveling manure in the barn). Full of homey details, Kinney's prose takes its time establishing Clarence's insecurities about his small stature and limited helpfulness, as well as his love for his neighboring Uncle Leon, before getting to the heart of the matter: an annual competition at the county fair in which Clarence will be participating for the first time. "The pig scramble meant ten children running around a pen chasing a little pig, trying to catch the slippery, squirmy squealer with nothing but their bare hands." The prize: the pig (and hopefully a bit of respect from his elders). Brannen (Uncle Bobby's Wedding) contributes delicate watercolors that add to the book's strong sense of place. If the story is a bit slow-going and subdued, readers who, like Clarence, are more than ready to grow up will catch the wisdom in Uncle Leon's advice to "let the pig come to you."
– Publishers Weekly

"With beautifully detailed, gently shaded, flowing watercolor illustrations, the world of Clarence's family farm and his boyhood experiences will jump off the page and right into the imagination of your child. The text is simple enough for newly independent readers to read on their own, but children of all ages will love to hear it read aloud as they listen to the tale with wide-eyed anticipation."
– Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Sweetly inspired by her husband's experience growing up on a dairy farm in Maine, Jessica Kinney wrote "The Pig Scramble" for him. Uncle Leon offers encouragement to his nephew Clarence, the youngest of three who often feels left behind by his older and more capable brothers. Sarah S. Brannen's illustrations perfectly capture life on a New England farm.
– Children's Book Review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessica Kinney is a Maine native and mother of five who lives and writes on the coast of Maine. A Bowdoin College graduate and former middle- and high-school English teacher, Kinney says The Pig Scramble was inspired by a true story about her husband, who grew up as the youngest child on a Maine dairy farm and really did win a pig at a local fair. The Pig Scramble is her first children's book. Read our Q and A with Jessica here.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Sarah S. Brannen is the author and illustrator of Uncle Bobby's Wedding. She also illustrated Digging for Troy: From Homer to Hisarlik, Mathias Franey, Powder Monkey and The ABC Book of American Homes. She has illustrated for several children's magazines and is a regular contributor to Skating magazine. Sarah also is a founding member of the children's writing and illustrating web site, yellapalooza.com. Find out more at www.sarahbrannen.com and read our Q and A with Sarah here.

Q and A
Author Jessica Kinney talks about the tools of her trade, her inspiration, and how she got started.

Q: Where you did get the inspiration for The Pig Scramble?
A: This book is based on a true story that happened to my husband when he was a child. Growing up on a farm in rural Maine afforded certain experiences to which most kids have limited (if any) access these days, mine included (though in Maine, we have more of these opportunities than in other places, if we want to seek them out). This story in particular always struck me as perfect for a children's book.

Q: What were your favorite books as a child? What do you remember reading?
A: I was fortunate to have parents who constantly fed my book appetite, whether through giving me books to read based on my interests, or through dropping me off at the local library and letting me roam for hours on my own. I can remember devouring whatever I could get my hands on, reading some books three or four times (A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle is one I can remember finishing and immediately turning right back to the beginning to read again). I also went through a Greek mythology phase, where I carried an old paperback copy of Gods, Demigods & Demons: An Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology by Bernard Evslin everywhere and read it at every possible moment, even during class time in elementary school (it was the perfect size to open in my desk and read without my teacher seeing). I still have it, though it's held together with a rubber band.

Q: What is the most useful thing you have done in your past to prepare you to write this book?
A: The most critical thing I have done in the past (and present) to prepare me to be a writer has been to read as much as I can, as often as I can. An effective writer is also an effective reader, one who seeks out a variety of styles and voices.

Q: How did you get started as a writer? How did you know that's what you wanted to do?

A: I always loved writing, especially letters, but didn't think I could write a book until I'd grown up a bit, lived in several different places, and enjoyed a variety of life experiences. Most readers I know ask themselves, "could I write this?", as they're reading most anything. I'm no exception – and while I gave a lot of thought to being a writer, it took quite some time before I found my voice. My husband's encouragement helped a great deal, too, and his gentle prodding to express myself through writing was, and is, invaluable.

Q: What is the most important tool you use in writing or illustrating? The one thing you can't work without?
A: Steaming hot, black coffee – the most important tool I use in writing, and everything else that I do. I can't work without it.

Q: What books are on your bedside table right now?
What Matters? Economics for a Renewed Commonwealth by Wendell Berry; The Wave by Susan Casey; John the Revelator by Peter Murphy; The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor.

Q: What is your favorite word?
A: For some reason, I've always liked the look of the word "juxtaposition." There's something about the "j" and "x" together that I find interesting.

Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
A: Reading, obviously. Also cooking, for four reasons. It's:
1. tangible
2. creative
3. requires my hands
4. necessary

Q: Do any people or pets from your real life appear in, or serve as inspiration for, your books?
A: This is my first book, and while my husband and his family have served as the inspiration for this particular story, several artistic/practical liberties were taken with some of the details. Overall, though, when I am writing, I am inspired by the thought of at least one person reading it, and that person feeling glad that I wrote it.

Q: What is your next project? I'm working on two children's books. The first is another book with Clarence and Uncle Leon, which I hope to complete soon. The other is about an important historical figure from Maine.

Q: If you could be an animal, which animal would it be? Would it be a pig?
A: My two oldest sons would have me say, in my best Napoleon Dynamite voice, "A liger ... it's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed ... bred for its skills in magic."

Q and A
We asked artist Sarah Brannen to answer some questions about her work, her inspirations, and her process.

Q: What were your favorite books as a child? What do you remember reading?
A: I can't pick just a few - I loved hundreds of books. What do I remember reading? EVERYTHING. I think I did nothing but read from the age of six to about eighteen.

Q: What is the most useful thing you have done in your past to prepare you to illustrate this book?
A: There isn't any one thing. Learning to illustrate just takes about thirty years of hard work. I did visit a couple of local farms to get up close and personal with some pigs, though.

Q: How did you get started as an illustrator? How did you know that's what you wanted to do?
A: I started drawing before I could write. I always saw pictures in my mind when I was reading. I knew it was what I wanted to do because it's the work that makes me happiest.

Q: What is the most important tool you use in illustrating? The one thing you can't work without?
A: Blackwing pencils. I'm addicted to them.

Q: What books are on your bedside table right now?
A: THE WINE-DARK SEA by Patrick O'Brian, SHIP OF THE LINE by C. S. Forester, ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOT by David Larochelle, AS MEAT LOVES SALT by Maria McCann.

Q: What is your favorite color and why?
A: I don't have a favorite color. As an artist, you learn that all colors are wonderful.

Q: What are your hobbies? What do you like to do when you are not illustrating books?
A: I am very involved in the wild, wonderful and bedazzled world of figure skating. I skate nearly every day and write a behind-the-scenes column for icenetwork.com. So it's a hobby, but more than that. I'm a trained classical singer; I sang with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for many years. Again, more than a hobby. Between those passions and my work, I don't have time for any other hobbies!

Q: Do any people or pets from your real life appear in, or serve as inspiration for, your books?
A: My sister's dog, a Cairn terrier, is the inspiration for the little pig in THE PIG SCRAMBLE. She races around everywhere.

Q: What is your next project?
A: I'll be illustrating a book for Scholastic Press, TOOTH TRUTH, written by Arthur Levine.

Q: If you could be an animal, which animal would it be?
A: An opera singer ;)