When Jasper the pig was born, the volunteers at the farm sanctuary noticed that something was a little bit . . . different. Maybe it was the three-piece suit he sported and his preference for bookkeeping over playing in the mud. Either way, Jasper's business sense leads him to tackle the greatest project of all time: getting himself adopted. Will Jasper's charts, résumés, and unique marketing strategies pay off? ?Zuill pulls double duty as author and illustrator, and her vibrant colored-ink drawings pair well with the text. Somehow, she makes a suit-wearing piglet look confident and cute at the same time. The sly humor mixed with a happy ending will be best enjoyed by those who love Marla Frazee's The Boss Baby? (2010). Young readers may be confused about the ease by which a child adopts a pig (a notoriously difficult pet) from an animal sanctuary. But in the right setting, this story about a sweet, porky entrepreneur who brokers the deal of a lifetime could lend itself well to a silly storytime.

A proactive piglet seeks a new home and sense of belonging.Jasper, "a gen-u-wine Business Pig," feels out of place at the Sunshine Sanctuary for Farm Animals. Unlike his siblings, he hates playing in mud puddles and rooting about for food. The other animals don't appreciate his flair for flow charts. Although the farm volunteers try to support Jasper, he longs for adoption. Not a pig "to let life get him down for long," Jasper puts himself out there to find the perfect home. In this playful story about staying true to oneself, surprising and expressive illustrations wittily expand on the narration. The contrast between suit-and-tie-wearing Jasper and the other farm animals captures the lighthearted tone of the story. While his siblings walk on four legs and dig with their snouts, Jasper stands upright and uses a shovel. A white girl adopts Jasper at the end, but the volunteer who names him has dark brown skin and Afro-textured hair. Zuill's use of varied perspectives and layouts creates movement and adds liveliness to the pacing of the text. Speech bubbles within the illustrations inject character voice into the story without interrupting the rhythm. With the easy flow of the narration and the light sense of humor, this picture book is well-suited for storytime.Jasper the Business Pig makes the sale with silliness and charm. (Picture book. 4-7)

K-Gr 2 Immediately after he is born, it is apparent that Jasper the piglet is different from his siblings. The suit and tie bedecked piglet is a business pig. He does not like mud or other things that pigs like. The volunteers at the sanctuary farm build Jasper an office in the barn and let him help with the bookkeeping. However, not everyone at the farm appreciates Jasper's business acumen, including perspective adoptive families. After seeing other animals get adopted, Jasper forms a plan. He executes it with efficient and professional style to spectacular results. After a thorough interview and contracts signed, Jasper the business pig gets adopted by a very like-minded girl. Good humor abounds in both the illustrations and the writing. Adults will chuckle at Jasper's antics and though some of the humor may be lost on little ones, they will still enjoy Jasper in his adorable little suit. Inked characters and objects, created with wavy lines, scratches and dots, against a soft watercolor background create a charming farm atmosphere and surprisingly expressive faces. Jasper the business savvy piglet will tickle the funny bone of both grown-ups and children. VERDICT A clever addition for storytimes or one-on-one sharing. Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services YA